White Rabbit
by refreshingbeverage
Summary: An homage to Lewis Carrol. Rick makes an interesting Alice, at least I think so. Rated M for language and some other stuff that would rate things M. HandS.
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

For the past several months, I have been working on this lovely little project titled "White Rabbit". I have chosen to release the first chapter today, on Lewis Carroll's 178th birthday. So, happy birthday Lewis! Maybe one day I'll be a real writer, just like you.

***

Updates shall me on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.

…for now.

***

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

My apologies to librarians.

…except those of you who deserve it.

…you know who you are.

***

**Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole**

Rick Stetler was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene, pulling his red Mercury Milan up in front of the Miami's main library. It broke his heart every time he drove past it. Other cities get beautiful pieces of architecture with enormous Greek columns and stone lions to guard all the wonderful books inside. Miami got a big slab of white concrete with arches and three pretty windows; and this was their best library. The other ones were about the size of large-ish gas stations, and looked like large-ish gas stations. In fact, the only difference between those libraries and large-ish gas stations was that the large-ish gas stations had more people in it.

Rick couldn't understand how anyone could have died in the library, especially by means of homicide. That would require at least two people to be in there, and that alone seemed kind of suspicious. He sighed as he walked under an archway and pushed open the glass door.

Officer Brawn lay there in front of the check-out desk, dead. Not quite as dead as the library itself. But he was pretty damn close.

"Sergeant Stetler," a young officer called to him, "we estimate that it happened three hours ago, but we can't be certain until the coroner arrives with the CSIs".

"Thank you," Rick nodded politely. He wasn't really paying attention; he was too busy mourning the culture that Miami was depriving itself of. He tried to make himself feel better by thinking '_maybe they're all just actually buying the books'_. That thought was short lived as he remembered that Miami only had one Barnes&Noble. Sure, Miami was already a melting pot of ideas and culture from the North and South Americas… but they still needed books, damnit.

"Who's in charge here?" A mousy looking middle-aged woman with curly brown hair asked as she approached the scene.

"As of right now, me," Rick answered, approaching her, "please stay behind the tape until we get the scene processed.

"Why do I have to stay behind the tape? It's my library!" she snapped, "How long is this going to take? What gives you the right to just march in here like you own the place? Honestly! What has happened to things like manners and class?"

Rick took a deep breath and sighed before saying very calmly, "a man died here today, m'am".

"He sure did! And he's getting in the way. I'm expecting a new shipment of books today about Franz Anton Mesmer and James Braid. Now, you probably don't even know who those people are," she sneered with a slight chuckle.

Rick bit his tongue to keep from saying _"Mesmer founded animal magnetism and Braid developed hypnosis! Don't fuck with me! I majored in Psychology before I entered the police academy. Christ! It's people like you who made me stop going to libraries. Librarians spend their lives around books, they should be the most omniscient and benevolent people on the planet. But no! Every single one I ever met has been a territorial little bitch who doesn't like other people touching the books. All the brilliant minds are at the bookstore, that's why I buy, not borrow, all my books. You have no reason to act all high and mighty and you never did!"_ But he kept calm and quiet, like he usually does, and got right to the task at hand.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience to you, but for the sake of this man's family, it is my duty to find who is responsible for taking his life".

"Well, do it quickly!" she snapped before stalking off.

"You handled that pretty well," a low and quiet voice behind Rick said, "still hate librarians?"

"How long have you been standing there, Horatio?" Rick groaned, turning to face the redheaded lieutenant.

"A while," Horatio smirked, "I didn't want to interrupt, you seemed to have a pretty good handle on things. I will grant you one thing, Stetler; you have the patience of a saint".

"Thank you. But I'll have you know, I don't hate librarians, they hate me. I don't know why, they just do. It all started back when I was in the third grade and-"

"-hold it right there," Horatio ordered, holding up his hand, "I've heard this rant before, Rick. So I know that this will keep you distracted for a good half-hour. How about this: you go upstairs and walk through the books until you're calm enough to come back down here".

Sighing, Rick half-heartedly agreed. He couldn't focus when he was so irritated. He ducked under the tape and scaled the grand stairs up to the second floor, where most of the books were kept.

Row after row of books lined dusty old wooden shelves. Stetler reached out and ran his fingertips over the spines as he walked down the rows, like he used to do when he was a little kid. All the hardcover books were covered in some strange clear plastic that made ugly crinkly noises when the books were opened. He hated that plastic. It made the books look like prisoners, and the little Dewy decimal sticker on the binding didn't help.

"Poor things," Rick sighed, looking at the books like they were caged birds he longed to free, "you deserve better than this".

He brushed his way past thin cobwebs that hung between a few aisles. Who is supposed to be maintaining in this place? Maybe there were budget cuts. He couldn't really explain it.

"Oh no", Rick sighed sadly, pulling an old looking book of the shelf, "this one has dust on it. You can't even see the title of i- Oh my God! This is 'Inherit The Wind'! This a good play! A damn good play!"

He lovingly brushed the dust off the binding as he ran toward the balcony.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS!" Rick shouted at the scene below, "You ignorant cowards are afraid of the mind's beauty! How DARE you neglect-"

"-Rick!" Horatio snapped "I thought I told you to calm down".

"But... the book..."

"Just keep walking, Rick. I'll call you when I need you"

"...okay," Rick quietly agreed as he cradled the book in his arms.

"What's up with him?" Eric smirked as he took a photo of the scene.

"He's sulking," Horatio sighed, "He should be fine in about a half hour"

***

Rick was sitting in the middle of an aisle, reading the play he rescued from dust. He grinned at its perfection as he jumped from one of his favorite monologues to the next. However, the subject of the novel was just riling him up more so. He could have ranted about the Scopes monkey trials for the rest of the day.

He lovingly placed the book back in its place. He smiled at it and waved goodbye as he went on to the next section. Some may think that he was kinder to books than he was to people. Rick doesn't mind; he knows it's true. He wandered from aisle to aisle, closing his eyes and taking in the scent of yellowed pages.

"Rick!" Horatio's voice came drifting.

Stetler checked his watch, they processed that scene fast. He looked around and realized that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was wandering for the past several minutes. He was lost.

"Don't panic, Rick," He breathed deeply, "you just need to go back up the aisles... whatever direction up is. It's not like you went through any doors... did you? I can't remember. I should probably pay more attention to my surroundings. I've always told myself that".

"Rick!" Horatio called again.

Stetler tried to follow the sound of the other man's voice, turning into a large, grand room with dusty old books stacked up the ceiling. Rick looked around; he was positive that he heard Horatio's voice coming from that room.

"Rick!" He heard again.

The voice was coming from a large gap between two of the shelves. There was a six foot tall painting, wrapped in brown paper and twine. Rick timidly approached the package, pushing it aside and seeing a three foot square hole in the wall.

"Rick!" Horatio's voice came from the hole.

"Horatio?" Rick called into the hole, crouching down in front of it.

The hole opened up into pitch blackness and with the exception of his own voice echoing, there was eerie silence. Rick pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up, illuminating a small patch of floor in front of him.

"Horatio? Where are you?" Rick called out into the room.

He crawled into the room, discovering that the room opens up into a normal size after about a foot. He stood up and looked around, not able to see much of anything.

"Horatio?"

Suddenly he remembered that there was a dead body downstairs. Why couldn't there be one in this hidden little space up here? There could be a skeleton lying around somewhere in the dark, that's why he didn't smell any decomp. Or there could be a fresh body lying around. He didn't smell any blood though either. So there could be a hanging man dangling somewhere from the ceiling. Or even worse, the other body in the room could be very much alive. It could be Officer Braun's killer.

There was a crash, which made Rick yelp and jump about three feet into the air, nearly giving him a heart attack. He spun around to see that the hole he climbed through was gone. His pulse racing, Rick backed up against the wall, his eyes darting around into the darkness. He strained to see more than what the light from his cell phone could possibly illuminate.

"Horatio?" Rick squeaked, hoping that if this was an elaborate prank that the lieutenant would have some mercy on him.

_Calm down, Rick_, He thought at himself_, just calm down. You need to think clearly. You are alone in this room. I know you thought you heard Horatio coming from in here, but you must have been mistaken. He wouldn't just stand around in here with the lights off. Now all you need to do is take a deep breath and try to figure out how to get out of here._

Rick slowly began to make his way around the perimeter of the room. It looked pretty barren from the small patch of what he could see, but he couldn't determine the room's actual size. He reached the first corner, about fifteen feet away, before a nagging question popped into his brain. What happened to the hole in the wall?

_I don't know what happened to the hole in the wall. But right now you need to get out, or at least find a light switch or something._

Rick looked around nervously, suddenly remembering a legend he once read. There was a certain breed of mythical wolf that could imitate any sound it heard perfectly, from animals to specific human voices. It would lure the victim away from their group and then open its jaws and-

_-Rick! Stopit! You're going to scare yourself to death. I'm ordering you to think of something else._

At that moment, Rick's phone dimmed; the words "Low Batt" flashed across the screen before the darkness swallowed the IAB sergeant.

_DON'T PANIC! I'm telling you that before you get the chance to think of anything else: don't panic. Calm down. I'm going to tell you a story. Just focus on the story as you keep feeling the walls for a door. Okay… picture it: you get out of here and tell Horatio about how scared you were. He pities you and takes you back home, because he's a little worried about you and how you're holding up. He takes a look around and finds interest in your movie collection. The two of you decide to sit down and -_

"-Rick," Horatio's firm voice said suddenly.

It was close, too close. Rick would be screaming if he could remember how to breathe. The calming voice of reason in his head was silenced. He could hear his heart pound in his ears.

"Is it too dark in here for you, Rick?" Horatio asked.

"Uh-huh," Rick whimpered, backing up against the wall.

A low orange point of light glowed dimly, the contours of Horatio's pale hand suddenly becoming clear to Rick. The light was from a lantern, Horatio was slowly turning the knob on the side, making the little flame grow.

Rick cocked his head to the side as Horatio's features became clearer. His height, build, and face were the same as he saw earlier. But his hair was different. Instead of red it was white, and out of the top of his head came two long white ears, like those of a rabbit.

"What did you do to your hair?" Rick wondered aloud, deciding to dismiss the ears as an illusion.

"What?"

"Your hair, I personally liked it red".

"You must be mistaken, Rick. My hair has never been red".

"But-"

"-If you don't mind, Rick," Horatio sighed, "I've been calling you for the past ten minutes, I really have no patience for you to stall any longer. Follow me".

Rick quietly obeyed, not quite sure if he really had any other option as he stepped over to Horatio's side. The light from the white haired man's lantern didn't reveal much about the room. The echo that Rick remembered initially hearing was gone, the floor in this part of the room felt carpeted. The path that Horatio lead him in was a curved one, although Rick couldn't see the ground or any walls.

"Where are you leading me?"

"To a friend," Horatio answered calmly, "I'm putting you there until I can figure out what to do with you".

"Why is it so dark?"

"Nothing personal, Rick, but I think it best if you stop asking so many questions. They irritate me. That and your silly notion that my hair was ever red".

Rick was about to point out that he had never before known Horatio to be without red hair, but he decided to let it go. It was an argument he was pretty sure that he couldn't win.

Stetler jumped slightly as he felt something brush against his arm. The sensation was familiar, it was a tree branch. Why were there tree branches in the middle of the library? Where was he, anyways?

"Up ahead," Horatio said pointing to a faint glimmer of light, "I'll drop you off there, then I gotta get going".

The light appeared to be coming out from behind… trees? Entire trees? Where was he? This was no library. Rick was pretty sure that this wasn't even Miami.

"Where are we?" He asked Horatio.

"I thought I told you to stop with your incessant questions".

Apparently they were outside in some forest at night. But Rick couldn't figure out why or how or anything like that. He could feel a night breeze ruffle his hair and lightly tug at his clothes. The light in front of them danced off the grass, moist with dew.

The light was a porch light, attached to a little two story house. There was a white picket fence surrounding it, and a little path surrounded by flowers that lead up to the front step. Horatio opened the gate in the fence.

"Just follow their instructions," Horatio ordered, motioning Rick towards the house.

"I… I just go in?" Rick stammered, "They'll let me stay?"

"You ask too many questions," Horatio grumbled, turning to go and revealing a white cotton tail coming from his lower back.

"Will I see you again?"

"Stop that!"

Rick backed away under Horatio's glare. Timidly, he stepped onto the path and closed the gate behind him.

"And don't step on the flowers!" Horatio called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the darkness, "If you do, they'll never shutup".


	2. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare

Thank you for the reviews, Padfoot57 and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Two: The Mad Hatter and the March Hare**

Rick carefully followed the little dirt path leading up to the house. He didn't quite know what Horatio meant when he was talking about the flowers, but he didn't want to find out. The house didn't look that large, but it was a decent size for one person. On the door was written "Hatter. Est. 1865."

"That's an old hat shop," Rick muttered to himself as he knocked on the door.

The door was promptly answered, a little bit too promptly. Rick blinked a few times, he was pretty sure that he was looking at Eric from Horatio's CSI team. But yet he wasn't quite sure. He wasn't dressed in his usual attire. He was decked out in a green tuxedo, complete with an emerald top hat that slipped down over his eyes when he moved. Rick wasn't quite sure how reliable his senses were, so he decided to check.

"Delko?" Rick asked, looking the man over.

"Tea?" Eric offered, holding out his cup.

"Maybe later," Rick answered, uneasily eyeing up the beverage.

"Who's out there?" a voice called from the inside.

"Stetler," Eric called over his shoulder.

"Ask him if he wants some tea," the voice suggested.

"Tea?" Eric offered again.

"Maybe later".

Eric stepped to the side, motioning for his visitor to come in. Rick nervously looked back out into the darkness, wishing he knew what was going on. Without much of an option at this point, Rick stepped inside the small house.

There were hats everywhere, as the writing on the door led him to believe. What caught Rick off guard were the empty and full and half-full teacups that littered every surface they could sit upon. Tea pots and old tea kettles were strewn about in particular order, it was like the house was just growing them. There were a few large clocks hanging on the walls, they all looked like they had been pulled apart and had been tinkered with, their cogs exposed. Every clock face read 6:00.

"Are you sure you don't want any tea?" asked the voice Rick had heard before.

From out of the kitchen came someone who looked a lot like Ryan Wolfe. There were only two things that separated this Ryan Wolfe from the Ryan Wolfe Rick knew. First, this one was wearing nothing more than a pair of tight-fitting jeans. Second, he had large rabbit-like ears coming out of the top of his head; like the white-haired version of Horatio did, except Ryan's were brown.

"I'm positive," Rick nodded, holding up his hands in polite resistance, "Thank you, Ryan".

"Your watch is broken," Eric noted, grabbing at Stetler's wrist and looking it over.

"It is?"

"Yeah, your watch says it's 9:17. It's 6:00".

"Are you positive?" Rick asked, lightly trying to pull himself out of Eric's grip.

"Absolutely positive," Eric nodded, unfastening the clasp of the watch's band, "I can fix it for you".

"I can fix that myself".

"No you can't".

Eric pulled the little pin on the side of the watch face, spinning it and turning the hands to read 6:00. He then promptly picked up a sugar spoon from the sugar dish and struck it against the watch's face. Smiling at his handiwork, he handed the watch with the now crushed face back to Rick.

"Fixed".

Rick looked sadly down at the smashed timepiece, realizing that once he gets out of… wherever he is, he shall have to buy himself a new watch.

"It's 6:00 here," Ryan explained, stirring his tea "it's always 6:00 here".

"Ever since I-" Eric tried to say, only to have Ryan interrupt him.

"-shutup! You forget who you're talking to".

"He knows. Everybody knows".

"What do I know?" Rick asked, quite confused.

"Nothing," Ryan snapped, shooting Eric a look.

Stetler heaved a sigh and dropped his face into a hand. This was all too confusing, and far too much for a Monday. The uncertainty of which Rick took every step was giving him a headache. And if he thought that Eric and Ryan talked circles around him in the lab, he was positive that here things could only get worse.

"What do you have for a headache?" Rick asked, massaging his temples.

"Tea?" Eric offered.

"Goddamnit, Eric!" Rick snapped, only to quickly calm himself, "I'm sorry. I… I just need to lie down".

"There are two free beds upstairs," Ryan said, pointing upwards.

"The dormouse is in one," Eric corrected.

"But the dormouse is in one," Ryan echoed.

"So there's one free bed upstairs".

"One free bed".

"Thank you," Rick nodded, making his way up the stairs to the bedrooms.

The upstairs was not quite as cluttered as the downstairs. It had less empty tea cups, but more broken clocks. He stepped over a teapot and into the bedroom. In it there were two double beds, each on either side of the room. A dresser and a desk occupied most of the rest of the space. There was a large window overlooking the front yard… presuming that he came in the front yard. The ceiling was at an angle that met in the middle of the room over the window.

As promised to him, one of the beds was occupied. There was definitely someone… well… some human-mouse thing in the bed closest to the window. Whoever it was was wrapped in a crazy quilt and curled up into a little ball in the middle of the mattress. Most of their body was hidden, except for a long brown tail that came out from under the quilt and lazily curled around one of the bedposts. A head of short dark brown human hair with two large brown mouse ears coming out the top was poking out from under the quilt.

Ever curious, Rick quietly approached the sleeping body. Timidly, he tugged on the edge of the quilt covering the face. When Rick saw who it was, his breath caught.

"Speed?"

Curled up on the bed and sleeping so peacefully was Tim Speedle… or… some mouse-like version of him at least. But it was equally unnerving, or more unnerving, Rick couldn't decide. And all the same, with the exception of the ears and the tail, he was just as Rick remembered him; ruffled hair, stubble and all. His soft features fell into a serene expression. He nuzzled into the pillows and hummed contentedly.

"_I have wished a bird would fly away,_" Speed muttered, apparently in his sleep, "_and not sing by my house all day; have clapped my hands at him from the door when it seemed as if I could bear no more_"_._

"Speed?" Rick whispered, "I… I thought you were dead".

"_The fault must partly have been in me,_" the sleeping man rambled on, "_The bird was not to blame for his key_"_._

"Speed?" Rick repeated sadly, only to come to the realization that he couldn't be heard.

He stood back up; looking down on Tim Speedle's sleeping form. He gently tucked the other man back in, making sure he was comfortable. Patting the mass of ruffled brown hair, Rick bid Speed goodnight. He sat down on the edge of the other bed, still hardly able to believe how real Speed seemed. He had to be hallucinating. This had to be a dream.

He stepped out of his socks and shoes, removed his jacket and tie; placing them on the bedpost. Rick took off his belt and opened the top few buttons of his shirt. His clothes loosened to his liking, Stetler climbed under the covers of the vacant bed. He made himself comfortable as he tried to get some sleep. With a little luck, he would wake up back in the library.

"_And of course there must be something wrong,_" Speed mumbled, "_in wanting to silence any song_"_._

***

Rick stirred as the sunlight streamed in through the windows, rays visible in the dusty room. He wasn't quite sure how long he was asleep; there wasn't any real way of telling. But it must have been a few hours since it was pitch black when he finally passed out. One thing was certain; he was still a long ways away from the library.

It was at this time that Rick noticed a weight that lay across his side, right over his hip. It was an arm. It was definitely an arm. Not quite sure if he wanted to know what was really going on, Rick turned his head to see whose arm it was. There, just a few centimeters away, was Ryan Wolfe looking right back at him.

"Jesus Christ!" Rick gasped, nearly tumbling off the bed.

"Good morning, sunshine," Ryan smiled up at him sleepily, "feeling better?"

"Were you spooning me?!"

"I thought you wanted me to".

"What made you think that?!"

"You were sleeping in my bed".

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I-"

"-Is it morning?" Eric murmured from the other bed.

"Yeah," Ryan answered.

"Tea time!"

Rick watched as the two men leapt out of their respective beds and pull on new clothes for the day; which were nearly identical to their old clothes.

"Do you want to get up today, Speed?" Eric asked, giving the mass of quilt Speedle was hiding under a firm shake.

"_When I was little and had a cold, mother would put a humidifier in my bedroom_," Speed muttered, obviously a long way from being fully conscious.

"That's okay," Eric cooed understandingly, "you don't have to".

"_It was shaped like a penguin_," Speed continued, muffled slightly by the quilt, "_I_ _liked it because it was blue_".

The innocence of Speed's non sequitur made Rick chuckle quietly.

"Are you laughing at my friend?" Eric snapped.

"N-n-n-no," Rick stammered, not intending to mock or anger anyone.

"Just let him sleep and leave him alone," Delko said coldly as he began on his way downstairs for tea, "and get out of the bedroom".

Timidly, Rick got out of bed and buttoned his shirt partway back up. He stepped back into his socks and shoes as he pulled his suit jacket back on. Looping the belt into its hoops, Rick stared down at his tie in thought. There was no longer any need for him to be so formal, but a tie can double as a short piece of rope in a pinch; and short pieces of rope usually can prove to be quite useful. He let it hang loosely around his neck.

Rick took one last look back at Speed, snoring softly under his quilt.

"Sweet dreams, Speedle," Rick whispered as he backed out of the room.

"_By a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to,_" Speed mumbled, barely audible as Rick was nearly out the door, "_'tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd_".

***

"You never told us what you're here for, Rick," Ryan observed.

The three conscious men sat around a small dining table, drinking tea and eating tea cakes. Rick had decided that if he was going to be stuck in this hallucination, he might as well be fed.

"The truth is," Stetler blushed, "I don't know".

"You don't know?" Delko echoed.

"Correct," Rick nodded, trying to think things out, "Horatio just dropped me off here and-"

"Dropped you off here from where?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know where I was".

"You didn't know where you were?"

"No, it was too dark. I couldn't see where I was".

"Do you only travel in the dark?" Ryan asked.

"What? No, of course not".

"Then you should have a good idea where you were in the dark based upon what directions you tend to travel in the light," Ryan shrugged, it was all pretty clear to him.

"What?" Rick was very confused.

"You don't know where you're going and you don't know where you've been?" Eric asked to clarify.

"That's the case I guess," Rick muttered, sipping at his tea in thought.

"Then how do you know where you are?"

"…I guess I don't".

"Is that how you always travel? Not knowing where you're going or where you've been?" Ryan asked.

"No… but I guess that's how I'm traveling now".

"Do you know that right now you are here?"

"Where is 'here'?"

"Oh dear," Ryan muttered, turning to Eric, "poor thing's mad".

"Are you alright?" Eric asked the guest.

"I'm not really myself today," Rick muttered.

"Stark raving mad," Eric corrected, turning back to Ryan.

"I'm going to Horatio's" Rick said decisively, "He'll tell me what's going on".

"Now we're getting somewhere," Ryan smiled.

"How do I find him?"

"He lives near the edge of town to the north," Eric said pointing, "but it's a long walk".

"Then I better get going," Rick decided, getting up.

"Let me pack you some tea for the road," Ryan offered, dashing into the kitchen.

Rick looked around the house one last time, wondering if there was anything else he needed from the two of them.

"Are you sure you're okay, Rick?" Eric asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Stetler nodded, watching Ryan come out of the kitchen with a thermos, "I… I've just never been so confused in my life".

Ryan was about to hand the thermos over to Rick, but quickly pulled it back. He pulled a marker out of a teapot that had been turned into a pencil holder and scribbled the words "DRINK ME" in huge letters on the side of the container.

"Can't have you getting confused about this," Ryan explained, handing the tea over to Rick.

"Gee… thanks," Rick mumbled, tying the neck of the bottle to his belt with his tie.

Eric led his guest to the door, opening it and indicating the path that lead to the left.

"Thanks for putting up with me," Rick said timidly.

"It wasn't easy," Eric informed him.

"Take care of Speed".

Rick stepped into a brisk summer breeze. It was absolutely beautiful outside. The sun was shining, the trees were green, and the flowers were in bloom. The house itself didn't look half bad on the outside, it almost made up for how cluttered the inside is. He turned and waved goodbye to his hosts.

"Good luck, Rick," Ryan called.

"And don't step on the flowers!" Eric added.

***

"A Minor Bird" – Robert Frost

"Hamlet" – Shakespeare


	3. The Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar

Thank you for the reviews, Padfoot57 and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

Note: I'm cutting this down to two a week - Monday and Wednesday. Don't you worry; you'll get plenty of ficlets from me this month.

***

**Chapter Three: The Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar**

Rick walked down the road in the direction that Eric had indicated. According to all logic, he should still be in the library; but Rick decided that it would be best for him not to think about that too much. He could have fallen asleep when he was looking for books. This could all be a dream and all he would have to do is wake up and he'd be right back in the world he knew. Or he may not have even gone to the library at all, he could be asleep in his own bed.

But despite the fantastical nature of some of the things he had seen, he didn't feel like he was dreaming. He had never before dreamed in such detail. Everything felt so real.

What if he wasn't asleep, but instead hallucinating? He couldn't think of any reason as to why he would be having hallucinations though. But if he was (whatever the reason) he would be much more willing to accept this strange world as "reality" as opposed to the real world. If he was hallucinating in the real world, he would be crazy. At least here he has a good head on his shoulders. Or at least he thinks he does. The norms of this world may dictate him to be crazy here too.

"Problems?" a voice came from behind him.

Rick spun around and saw Jesse Cardoza… or at least something that looked like Jesse Cardoza. He had that same dark brown hair and beady eyes. He was barefoot, wearing black slacks and an open purple button down shirt. He had pink and purple cat ears coming out the top of his head and a matching poofy cat tail coming out the back of his pants. His fingers and toes were slightly claw-like. When Rick looked closely he noticed that instead of pupils, he had slits that ran vertically down the center of each eye; like those of a cat. He had the most changed form from what Rick had seen so far… but then Rick didn't really know the real Jesse that well.

"Yes… well… no," Rick stammered, a little unsure about how to react, "I'm not sure".

"If you're not sure, then the answer is yes," Jesse informed him.

"Where'd you come from?" Rick asked, deciding to change the subject, "are you following me?"

Jesse shrugged, a little half-grin on his face. He reached around, bringing his tail in front of him and began grooming the fur, which had collected a few dead leaves and thistles.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude," Rick said matter-of-factly, "but why did you stop me?"

"You looked like you needed help," Jesse shrugged again, playing with the pink and purple fur he had just cleaned.

"I don't- well… I kind of do… but I need to think things through first. I expect myself to have everything sorted out by the time I reach the edge of the woods".

"And how long would that be?"

Rick paused, he really had no clue. He could have hours of walking to do before he reached Horatio's. Perhaps time and distance operate differently in this world than they did in the reality Rick once knew.

"I'm not quite sure," he finally admitted, "how much further do I have to go before I get out of the woods?"

"Distance is relative".

"Distance can get pretty exact, actually," Rick pointed out, a little irritated.

"Not really. If you live your life in a nutshell, things can seem very far away when they are incredibly close. Distance has the opposite effect on you if you are a giant".

"But I don't live in a nutshell and I'm not a giant".

"How are you sure?"

"DAMNIT JESSE!" Rick shouted, making Cardoza cower slightly.

The two men stood there staring at each other for a few moments before Rick finally turned his heel and continued walking. He didn't care how much farther he had to walk; he wasn't getting anywhere fast just standing still.

"Rick! Wait!" Jesse cried out, suddenly appearing right in front of Rick.

Rick screamed and then swore once, very loudly.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Cardoza asked.

"Of course you scared me!" Rick snapped, grasping at his chest just to see if his heart had started beating again, "Normally, people don't just fall out of the sky right in front of me!"

"They don't?"

Rick just glared at Jesse for a second before moving on, "What is it this time?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you're not mad".

"I'm not? Wait. How-"

"-But I think you should be. It's the only real way to make sense of things".

"But I don't want to be mad".

"That's quite unfortunate," Jesse shrugged, "but you want to be on your way now, so I'll leave you alone".

Rick's jaw dropped as he saw Jesse's body slowly begin to disappear, like sand into the wind. Small bits of him few away into the air until only a grin remained. Soon it too was gone.

Rick put his hand into the air that Jesse's body once occupied, not sure if he was really gone or not. He looked around, the other man was nowhere to be found.

"Okay, that was the creepiest thing I've ever seen" Rick muttered to himself, "Jesse! Jesse! That was a neat trick, but you can come out now. Jesse?"

He looked around frantically, wanting to make sure that he hadn't just lost his mind. Maybe he just imagined that he saw Jesse the second time… or at all. This was the strangest hallucination ever. He wandered off the path and checked behind the trunk of a large tree. Nothing.

He stumbled back onto the path, only to realize that he had accidentally stepped on a flower. He looked around nervously, wondering what would happen; considering both Horatio and Eric warned him about this. But nothing seemed to have changed… at least as far as he could see. Maybe they were both trying to psyche him out, although Rick couldn't imagine why; it was hardly necessary.

As long as he had stopped, he decided to take a drink. He unfastened the bottle from his belt, draping the tie back around his neck. He twisted off the top of the bottle and slowly tilted it towards his parched lips.

The tea was refreshing and was sweet, but not overpowering. It had to have been the best tea he had ever tasted. He closed his eyes and drank a little more, tilting the bottle up and his head back. It wasn't long until he had thrown back his head and was holding the bottle straight up into the air, trying to coax out the last drop with his tongue. He moaned happily as that final milliliter of tea slid down his throat.

It was at that moment that Rick suddenly felt very strange. It felt like a cross between a headache and a stomach ache, except it wrapped around his entire body. He grunted softly with the strange sensation, his hands shaking and letting go of the thermos. He squeezed his eyes shut, fully expecting to feel the thermos hit him in the face. But the sensation never came. He didn't even hear the thermos fall to the ground. Something was very wrong. He opened his eyes to look around, but he couldn't see anything. He waved his hands in front of his face, unable to see them.

"Oh God!" he gasped, "I'm blind!"

He heard a scream of laughter coming from somewhere in front of him. It sounded very far away. He also noticed that his voice kind of echoed for some reason. And everything smelled like the tea he just drank. Testing a hypothesis, Rick outstretched his arm until it hit a wall; a smooth and metallic wall.

"I'm inside the thermos aren't I?" Rick groaned, feeling along the metallic wall and listening to squeals of laughter come in from outside, "Yeah, I'm most definitely in the thermos".

Rick knelt down, trying to feel for the rim. Perhaps he would be able to lift it off of him. But it was no use. The rim was too wide and the thermos was too heavy. He was left with only one easy way out, but he didn't really want to do it.

"Whoever's laughing out there would be wise to step back," he shouted, wincing as he made his own eardrums ring. He had forgotten about the echo.

He took a deep breath and then threw himself against a wall. The thermos wobbled slightly, but didn't fall. He gave the wall a good shove again, timing it to the wobble he already had going. The metallic sound of his hands hitting the wall reverberated along with his heavy pants, coming from both physical exertion and nerves.

Physics apparently on Rick's side, he was able to find the resonant frequency and within moments had the thermos moving in a steady swing. Just as perfectly timed as the other shoves, Rick threw himself against the wall again, this time making it crash to the ground with him inside it. Daylight shot through the opening, Rick sat there for a few moments, letting his eyes adjust before he crawled out.

"Yay!" the voice Rick had heard laugh at him cheered.

"Nice to hear you on my side for once," Rick griped, rubbing his eyes.

He finally looked up. He had to be about four inches tall. That or else the rest of the world had grown to immense proportions. Rick's eyes finally fell at the source of the laughter. At this point he wasn't sure if he could really be surprised by much of anything. At any other time in his life, Rick would have called what he was seeing as "unusual", at least. But it would take a lot more than this to shock him now.

Valera stood in front of him with her arms crossed... with several of her arms crossed; she had six, three on each side. Rick couldn't see how many legs she had, her body morphed into that of a green and blue caterpillar at the waist. She wore a green shirt and several silver bracelets. Valera brushed some strands of hair out of her face as she extended two arms to help Rick to his feet.

"You should know better than to drink anything that Ryan gives you," she smirked.

"And you should know better than to laugh at someone who just shrunk to 1/19th his size," Rick snapped, "It isn't very pleasant".

"Are you calling me rude?" Valera scoffed.

"Maybe?" Rick guessed sheepishly.

This relationship wasn't really getting off on the right foot. He should probably think a bit more often before he spoke. If it wasn't for his short temper, Rick might have already gotten to Horatio's. It was at that moment that he decided not to let himself fly off the handle anymore.

"Who are you, anyways?" She asked.

"I... erm... um..."

"You don't know?"

"I'm having an off day"

"Do you always forget who you are when you have an off day?"

"No. I just... I'm very confused".

"I bet you are," she smirked.

Rick sighed heavily as he looked around. There had to be some sort means locomotion he could come up with. He needed to get to Horatio's but at the same time he wasn't quite sure if Horatio could help him out if he ever _did_ meet up with him again.

"I shall call you 'Chupi'!" Valera declared.

"What?"

"Since you don't know who you are, I'm naming you 'Chupi'".

"I know my name," he sighed, "it's Rick".

"Chupi's better," Valera grinned.

Stetler rolled his eyes and simply walked away from the scene. He had no time to stand around and discuss philosophies. Anything that couldn't get him back to his proper height again didn't really interest him that much.

He half-heartedly waved goodbye to Valera as he wandered off the path and into the grass. He didn't want to be stepped on by anyone passing by. As he continued his walk towards the edge of the woods, Rick tried to figure out how to flag someone down if someone did pass by. He toyed with his tie, still hanging around his neck, wondering if he could use it to pull something down or climb something or… or something.

"There he is!" came a voice from some undeterminable direction.

Rick looked around confusedly. It wasn't Valera's voice that called out, so whose was it? Where was it coming from?

He didn't have to wait long for his questions to be answered. From out of the taller grass about a foot away, a large, green vine shot forth. It came at Rick so fast that he couldn't process what was coming towards him. It coiled itself around his wrist, snaking around his forearm slightly. Rick pulled the tie off of his neck and stuffed it into his pants pocket, knowing that he didn't want to lose an article of clothing that could be so useful. He pulled helplessly against the vine, clawing at it with his free hand in hopes that it wouldn't fight back too much as he tried to weaken it.

But his struggle was in vein; several more vines popped out of the grass and attacked him. Six captured his arms completely, his legs were taken by about four others, one wrapped around his waist and another his chest as he was lifted into the air.

"Valera! Hel- mmf!"

A final vine covered his mouth as he was dragged helplessly struggling into the tall grass and away from the path.


	4. You Can Learn a Lot of Things

Thank you for the reviews, Padfoot57 and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Four: You Can Learn a Lot of Things from the Flowers**

Rick watched feebly as the grass curtain that parted for him closed up once again. The vines dragged him into a patch where the grass was matted down. His arms were maneuvered behind his back and secured there, most of the other vines letting go of him and retreating. Rick was brought to a kneeling position on the ground and surveyed his new surroundings.

The grass the surrounded the matted patch curved inwards, as if it tried to form a dome. There were numerous flowers that stood like skyscrapers over the long blades of grass. He wasn't quite sure what plant was holding him down, but it wasn't showing any signs of letting him go. In front of him stood a magenta colored flower that was about twice his current height.

The dark pink daisy turned its face and looked down on the helpless Rick. In the middle of the flower, where Rick expected to see a swirled golden disc, was something that vaguely resembled a face.

"You are guilty of the murder of one of our brothers," the plant declared.

Rick fought against the vine that muted him, squirming in discomfort as he felt the tip of it begin to slip into his mouth.

"You shall be set in the middle of our flowerbed," the plant continued, "If you manage to escape us, then you have earned the freedom you fought for".

Rick paused for a moment. He had to escape from a bed of flowers? What was the catch?

"Be forewarned, your chances for survival are slim".

The vines that had retreated came to bind him again, an extra one came up to cover his eyes as he was lifted away. After a short moment, he was set back down in what felt to be a dirt patch. The vines let go of him, this time all of them sliding back into the tall grass. Rick stood up and dusted off his pants. He looked around at the plants that loomed all around him. He was in the middle of a tulip bed, their thick stems and leaves making it difficult to see what lay ahead of him and their large bulbs keeping him from triangulating his position by use of the large tree he knew was close to him. As long as he could figure out the position of the tree, he could find the path again.

Careful not to disturb the flora too much, Rick stepped or crawled between the stems and leaves that littered the path. He wasn't sure if he was going the right way, but as long as he went in a straight line the tulip bed should end eventually… in theory anyways.

Progress was slow, but apparently efficient. The density of the flowers in front of him seemed to lesson with each step. He was pretty sure he was going in the right direction. But as Rick crawled under a leaf, his luck took a turn for the worse. The leaf, which seemed to be inanimate on the flowers, slammed down onto him, pinning Rick to the ground.

"Fuck," he griped, cursing his lack of forethought.

He lay on the ground, his head and legs sticking out from under the leaf on either side. He dug his knees into the dirt and tried to push against the plant. Rick grunted softly with the force he struggled to exert on the leaf that pinned him. He stopped once his back began to ache with all the stress that was being put on it.

Lying relatively still, Rick tried to figure out how to break free. He then realized that he was in a position that would allow for a good sized ant take him down. That would be terrifying.

But he didn't get to think much on the various insects that could now eat his face, as he felt a vine wrap around his ankle. The vine tugged at Rick, pulling him out from under the leaf and into the air.

"Oh thank god," Rick sighed, dangling upside down.

He was spun around and for the first time could see the rest of the vine. It was covered in menacing looking red thorns.

"Oh fuck".

He was carried to the head of an enormous red rose. Below him there was a thicket of thorns, moving like a pit of serpents. Rick wasn't sure if he should struggle or hold on for dear life.

"You killed my brother," It lowly growled at him.

"What?" Rick asked as he tried to focus; but that was pretty hard when reality involved a flower growling at him.

"You have been sentenced to death here".

Rick wasn't paying attention; he was swinging like a pendulum towards the vine that had a hold on his ankle. He needed to have a firm grip on it, he wasn't about to let this flower drop him into the sea of thorns.

"Are you listening to me?"

"I don't function very well upside down," Rick answered, trying to contort himself into a position that didn't allow blood to pool in his head.

The flower reluctantly turned him right side up. A second vine wrapped around his forearms, binding them together and holding him as the first let go. Rick hung here by his arms, looking at the flower in a delirium as his blood flow returned to its proper state.

"Why did you kill my brother?" the flower demanded.

"I didn't mean to!" Rick gasped, exasperated, "It was an accident!"

"Why did you do it?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Rick whimpered, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle.

"Really?"

The flower carried him quite a ways over the flower bed. The rose obviously had quite an extensive reach. Rick watched as below him a crushed white rose came into view. The flowers around it had their heads drooped in mourning.

"You didn't mean to do that?!" the rose screeched, holding Rick over its brother.

It was at that moment that Rick noticed that the vine holding him didn't have a firm grip on him, just his jacket. He realized that he might be throwing himself into the fire, but he may never get the chance to escape again. He shrugged his shoulders and, just as he suspected, the jacket came loose and he fell out of the rose's grip. Rick landed on the soft petals of the crushed rose.

A loud gasp came from all the mourning flowers as Rick sat on the white petals in the middle of it all. Some words about disrespect and desecration were whispered frantically among them. Realizing that there was little chance of escape, Rick did the only thing he could think of. He slid off the petals and slid under the limp body of the white rose.

Rick heard them gasp again as he lay there, the weight of the flower pressing down on him. Near his foot, Rick felt a hole in the ground, like the kind a mole might dig. Carefully, he pulled himself into the hole, knowing that the flowers weren't about to move the body of their dead friend to see him escape. Rick bit his lip to stifle a groan as his body brushed past the rose's thorns; the sharp spikes tearing at his clothes and flesh.

Rick finally fell down into the burrowed passage, under the plants that wanted him dead. He looked around the dimly lit cavern, pretty sure that whatever lived in the tunnels was asleep or away. The smell of iron hit Rick's nose, it was blood, his own blood. He reached towards his right bicep, feeling the torn fabric and skin, along with the unpleasant, warm, and wet feeling of blood. Leaning his head down, Rick licked at his wound until the bleeding stopped. His hands were clasped to his left thigh, putting pressure on a shallow gash that too was bleeding. All the other cuts were nothing more than superfluous scratches.

The tunnel was long and had the roots of the flowers sticking out of the walls and supporting the ceiling. It was tall enough for Rick to crawl through, but large enough to keep him from feeling claustrophobic while doing so. There were shafts of light that illuminated the sections of tunnel directly under other entrances.

Rick stood up and grabbed one of the white rose's leaves, plucking it from its stem. With the leaf rolled up and in hand, he cautiously crawled on hands and knees over to the next shaft of light, which was quite a ways away. Once there, Rick unrolled the leaf and put it on top of his head as he stood up, camouflaging himself in case there were any flowers near that entrance.

He was apparently on the other side of the path now, as he saw the tree and the long vines of the red rose quite a distance away. Rick smiled to himself and decided to stay on the path from now on. The path: which was only a few feet away. Wincing with the pressure he put on his shoulder, Rick pulled himself out of the mole's tunnel and stood up.

"We don't like strangers in these parts," an unfamiliar voice said in a thick southern accent.

Rick felt his stomach churn as a new kind of leaf took him by the shoulder, this one actually felt a little sharp. He was spun around and was face to face with a daisy. The face of this flower was on the sepal, rather than the middle of the petals. In fact, the petals were brushed back, like dread locks behind a headband.

"I'm sorry," Rick said as gently as he could, "I didn't mean to intrude… I was just leaving".

"Intrusion in these parts is an invitation to fight".

"I don't want to be rude," Rick said, trying to duck out of the flower's grip, "but I'm not really in a condition to fight".

"Nonsense," The flower laughed, "You can fight the young'un".

"I don't want to fight a young'un," Rick stammered as he was pushed over towards a smaller flower.

The smaller daisy turned to face Rick, several long stems flying in the air as it did so. It seemed to be demonstrating some form of martial arts, although how a flower learned kung fu, Rick will never know. It shall forever remain a mystery. Unsure of how to exactly fight a flower, Rick timidly approached it, but was ready to defend himself.

But it didn't really matter how ready Rick was to defend himself, the flower acted faster than Rick could see. One moment he was limping towards the flower, the next he was on the ground with a nasty scratch across his face.

_Screw it_, Rick thought to himself, deciding that enough was enough.

Grinding his teeth to distract himself from the sharp pain that was in his leg and arm, Rick bolted out of the flower's reach. He ran past and was cut by the leaves of other daisies, trying to catch him as he ran towards the path.

Finally out of everything's reach, Rick collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath and whimpering in pain. It wasn't long before he heard a laugher chiming above him.

"Hi, Valera," he grumbled, not really wanting to move at this point.

Valera had turned into a butterfly, her four extra arms disappearing and her human's legs back where they should be. Perhaps "butterfly" isn't the best term; she was really more of a nymph at this point. Her skin was nearly silver and she had sprouted bright white wings from her back. She landed gracefully on her feet and stood over Rick.

"Did you get beaten up by flowers?" she guffawed.

"Yes," he reluctantly admitted.

She continued to giggle softly as Rick stood up and dusted off his tattered clothes.

"Look," he sighed, "just point me in the direction of Horatio's place".

"You were going the right way," she said, pointing in the direction he was walking before he shrunk to 4 inches tall, "It's just about a mile".

"A _mile?!_"

If he were back at his proper height, he wouldn't have cared. But given his current condition, a mile would feel to be about twenty. He knew that he would have to rest somewhere along the way, but he didn't feel safe on either side of the path, and he wasn't about to fall asleep on the path and risk getting trampled.

"Is there any short cut or means of locomotion?" he asked, stumbling slightly as he put pressure on his wounded leg.

"Are you asking me to carry you there," She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Erm…"

He wasn't about to admit it, but that would be the final point he would drive at. He timidly looked at his feet as he nodded his answer.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because," Rick thought for a second, "I'd let you call me 'Chupi'".

Valera grinned from ear to ear when she heard that. Without another word, she caught Rick under his knees and lifted him off the ground. Rick turned his face away as Valera began to beat her wings, kicking  
up dirt from the path.

"You're really heavy," Valera noted as she finally was able to become airborne.

"I sure am," 'Chupi' nodded, not wanting to argue with the person carrying him.

***

It was several hours before Valera finally touched down in front of a modestly sized yellow house with a thatch roof. Sectioned windows outlined the first and second floors. There was a round little door in the middle of it all, just sitting there, so welcoming.

The entire house was surrounded by a white picket fence, of which Valera and Rick could easily crawl through. She told him to stay put and she flew off, her image lost in the intensity of the setting sun.

Rick looked up in the general direction she disappeared to, wondering if she was ever planning on coming back.

He plopped down in the dirt of the path, happy to be on the ground again and not being chased by flowers. Examining the house again, Rick noticed that it didn't look like anyone was home. He looked up at the sun and checked his watch, only to see that it was still broken. Days went by awfully fast here. That was okay by him, he was getting a little tired. Perhaps there was a soft place he could lie down in near the door. Wait... would Horatio really be that upset if he broke in? It's not like he'd get in the way.

"Here ya go".

Rick stood up and looked around; he had heard Valera before he saw her. Then, from out of the sky, she touched down next to him. She was wearing a makeshift satchel over her shoulder. Reaching into it, she pulled out a large white and brown mass.

"Eat this," she instructed, handing it to Rick .

"What is it?"

"Antidote. It should break the spell Ryan put on you".

"But what _is_ it?"

"Mushroom".

"I don't like mushroom," Rick said automatically.

She slapped him

He ate the mushroom.

That strange tight feeling overtook him. He groaned in discomfort as he doubled over, clutching his stomach although the pain covered all of him.

When Rick opened his eyes everything was back to its proper size. Valera flew up in front of his nose, smiling contentedly. Rick gave himself a once-over, just double checking that everything still  
worked.

Instinctively, Rick held out his hand, making a landing platform for Valera. He beamed down at her.

"Thanks, Valera".

"Anytime, Chupi," She giggled, "But now I need your help. You see, there is this little gold box Horatio keeps somewhere in his house. In it is something that belongs to me, and I need it before daybreak. Can  
you find it for me?"

"Why does Horatio have your stuff?"

"He stole it. He didn't want to, but the queen made him. I would take it myself, but I'm not allowed in. Horatio isn't allowed to return it to me, but you can".

"Erm... alright," Rick agreed, not quite sure if he had a grasp on the situation (actually, he was pretty sure he didn't), "Where will I find you?"

"Just leave it on the bedroom's windowsill".

"Alright... I guess I can do that," Rick shrugged.

"Really?! Oh thank you, Chupi!"

She flew up and hugged Rick's nose, playfully kissing it before she flew away. Rick didn't know what to think about that, but there wasn't much time to sit and ponder things. He knew how dark it could get, and he didn't want to be stranded outside once the sun has disappeared.

Not knowing if Horatio was home, and not really caring, Rick went up to the front door. He knocked a few times before he tried the handle. It was open, and before he had time to think things through, Rick had let himself in.


	5. White Hair

Thank you for the reviews, Padfoot57 and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the reviews, Wolfsong98 and tbsavafob6 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Five: White Hair**

Rick nervously looked around the small and cozy house. The walls were covered with clocks that all read different times, although none of them read 6:00. There were a few small bookshelves that stood against the wall and a large round couch in the middle of the room. A small archway lead to the kitchen, from the doorway it looked small and dimly lit. To the right was a staircase leading to the second floor.

Ever curious, Rick closed the front door behind him and quietly scaled the steps. Like Eric's house, the bedroom was second floor. Rick hit the light switch and looked around, the bed was unmade and clothing lay draped over the hamper. He arched his eyebrow. He didn't know why, but he had always expected Horatio to be neater than this. He spotted a door next to the dresser. Nervously, he went over to investigate it. He pulled it open and his jaw dropped.

It was a bathroom, but it was in horrible shape. Sitting on every flat surface were bottles of hair dye, hundreds of them. Most of them were red, but they were in all natural and abnormal colours. The pigments stained the once white surfaces. Hand prints covered the walls of the shower and the rim of the sink. Splatter marks remained on the mirror, although it had obviously gone through countless cleanings. Dangling above it all was a single bare light bulb.

Rick stared at the mess, wondering what had led to such chaos. After a long moment of thought, he had to accept that he just didn't know. Rick closed the door and went back to exploring the bedroom. The bed looked so warm and comforting, making Stetler remember how tired he was. He approached the bed and toed off his shoes.

_I don't think Horatio will mind_, Rick shrugged, _it didn't seem to bother Ryan_.

He gave his shoes a gentle nudge to get them out of the way, only to learn that they were butted up next to something under the bed. Rick knelt down to investigate, brushing the bed skirt aside. And there it was, plain as day, the little golden box Valera asked him to find. It was square and about six inches tall. And although he thought it a little strange that Valera would own a box larger than she is, Rick picked it up and set it on the windowsill anyways.

Closing the curtains so that Horatio wouldn't see it when he comes in, Rick unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his pants.

He yawned as he climbed onto the bed and under the covers, making sure to leave enough room for Horatio. Curling up in the thick quilts, he closed his eyes and quietly fell asleep.

***

Rick woke up an hour or so later. His body was tangled with the blankets and two heavy weights were wrapped around his waist and thighs. There was also something pressing against his chest, stomach, and side of his face. It was pretty comfortable; at least it would be if he wasn't suffocating.

He struggled under the covers, gasping at whatever air he could catch. He heard a muffled yelp and was promptly shoved onto the floor. When he was finally able to free himself from the comforters, Rick poked his head out, to look right down the barrel of a pistol. He gasped and promptly resumed hiding under the blankets, trying to pull himself together.

"Rick?" he heard Horatio call from the bed.

Timidly, he peeped his eyes over the blanket and looked up into the baby blues of the other man. Horatio stored the pistol back into the night stand drawer he got it from and glared down at Rick.

"What are you doing here?"

"I... I... I..." Rick didn't know what to say.

"Rick, you broke into my house and hid in my bed," Horatio snapped, his eyes blazing and one of his long ears twitching, "and now you just sit there stuttering?! I want some answers!"

"YOU want some answers?!" Rick gasped standing up and letting the blankets slide off of him, "_**YOU**_ want some answers?!?!"

For the first time in his life, he was able to stare down Horatio. The white rabbit craned his neck to look at the taller man who towered over him. Horatio was still on the bed, lying partially clothed (Rick presumed) on his stomach, his white cotton tail poked over the top of the sheets.

"Where am I?" Rick demanded, "Who am I? Why did you bring me here? Why do I change sizes when I eat things? Why do the flowers want to kill me? Why does Eric say it's 6:00? How is Speed still alive? Where's the library? How did Jesse disappear into thin air? What's going on with you and Valera? What time is it?!?! This is ridiculous! Tell me what's going on! I wanna go home! I just want to go home!"

Rick stopped to breathe. He looked up and noticed that he had been pacing around madly through his entire rant. 'Rant'? No. That was a tantrum. For the first time in 50 years he had thrown a tantrum. He was even crying a little.

Suddenly he just wanted to hide. He wanted to be a little kid again. He wanted to run to his room and hide until his mother would give him a cookie and tell him that everything was okay. He wanted to bawl his eyes out and have someone cradle him. He wanted to be hummed to and have his hair stroked while he was given a cup of milk. Why did those days have to be gone? He needed them now more than anything.

"Rick?" Horatio whispered softly.

Stetler's face was moist with tears that he still struggled to fight back. He choked as he tried not to let another fall.

"Come here, Chupi," the rabbit cooed.

Rick looked over at Horatio. He was sitting up on the bed, his arms outstretched and his face soft. The brunette bit at his lip nervously. It was a little weird, considering everything that's happened between the two of them. But at this point, Rick just wanted to be comforted; he didn't care who by.

He timidly crawled into Horatio's arms, feeling their warm bodies press together. Burying himself a little deeper into the embrace, Rick sank his face into Horatio's soft and pale shoulder. Horatio's long white ears flopped onto the back of Rick's head and neck, pulling a pathetic sigh from Stetler.

"It's okay," Horatio whispered, lightly rocking the younger man, "You're okay. Nothing's going to hurt you".

Horatio gently lowered Rick down onto the bed, pulling the covers over him. Although he felt so pathetic, just lying the sniffling, Rick didn't want to stop. He finally turned his face away once Horatio pulled the covers over him. The older man beamed as Rick buried himself in the blankets, hiding again.

Patting the mass of covers that contained Rick, Horatio lay back down and fell asleep once more.

***

When Rick woke up he was all alone in the bed. He couldn't help but to smile when he realized that he had spent most of the night with Horatio's hand on his chest. It had been years since he felt so comforted and cared about. He had always wanted Horatio's friendship, but... did he really want something more?

Rick shook his head in attempt to rattle the thoughts away. He should really just focus on trying to figure out how this world works. He didn't need Horatio to be distracting him.

Climbing out of bed, Rick buttoned his shirt back up, wishing that he could change out of his filthy and ripped clothing. He sighed and walked over to the bathroom, hoping that Horatio had a blade he could shave his stubble off with; it just made him feel more unkempt.

Once he opened the door, a cloud of steam rolled out, the moisture clinging to Rick's body and diving into his lungs and sinuses. He blinked in the bright light of the bare bulb hanging over him, trying to adjust his eyes from the light of the dark bedroom. When he could finally see, he looked up and saw Horatio's nude silhouette projected onto the shower curtain.

Rick blushed wildly as he looked back into the bedroom, considering giving the older man his privacy. But all Rick needed was a shave, and the more he thought about it, the more he needed it. Perhaps if he was quiet Horatio wouldn't notice. He seemed pretty occupied with his hair anyways.

Nervously, Rick walked in, closing the door so that Horatio wouldn't get cold. He pulled open the counter drawers near the sink, finding the razor and shaving cream right away. As silently as he could, Rick managed to shave his stubble off, but not without slightly more than the average number of nicks. Cursing quietly and washing the blood off his face, Rick didn't notice that Horatio had turned off the shower and had drawn the curtain.

"Rick?"

Stetler startled so violently that he almost fell down. After regaining his balance, Rick looked over to the direction of the voice. He forgot how to breathe once he saw Horatio standing before him, stark naked and dripping wet. His hair had been dyed to a beautiful and brilliant shade of red, so had his ears.

"What are you doing?" Horatio asked, stepping over the rim of the tub.

"Sh-sh-sh-shaving," Rick stuttered, trying to keep himself focused on Horatio's face and not let his eyes wander, "you look better with red hair".

"You can see it?!" Horatio gasped happily, running to the mirror over the sink.

He was grinning like a child as he ran his long pale fingers through the red hair that covered his head and long rabbit's ears. He bent over the sink, examining the dye job carefully. Rick couldn't help but to notice that Horatio had dyed his cotton tail as well, the tuft of now red fur twitching happily. He then promptly returned to forcing himself to keep his eyes on Horatio's face.

"Oh God," the redhead gasped, turning to Rick, "I can't believe I finally found something that works! That actually works!"

Rick smiled for him, but just for a moment. A strand of the red hair faded to white from root to tip. Then another did, and another. Rick's smile faded as well.

"Oh…dear…" Rick muttered, not quite so sure of what else to say; he had never witnessed hair change colors on its own so quickly before.

Horatio saw the other man's concern and quickly turned back to the mirror.

"No… NO!"

He pleaded for the color not to go as his hair and ears faded back to white. In a few short moments, the color was gone, and Horatio was slumped over the sink. He was defeated, and every aspect of his features showed that.

Nervously, Rick patted Horatio on the shoulder, feeling the warm and slick skin under his hand. The white haired man looked up at Rick; sighing sadly before he stood up and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist.

"Tell me what's going on," Rick whispered, it wasn't a demand as much as it was a request.

"I… I…" Horatio looked around nervously, wanting to say more, but knowing that he couldn't.

"Please, Horatio".

"I'm just supposed to have white hair, okay?"

Horatio shouldered his way past Rick and into his bedroom. He dug around in his dresser and pulled out slacks, a shirt, a suit coat, and boxers, all white. Rick watched quietly as Horatio got dressed. He knew that something very important was being kept from him, but he didn't know what.

"Can I use your shower?" Rick finally asked as Horatio zipped up.

"Of course," he nodded, "You're going to need to be presentable for the Queen".

"The Queen?" this was news.

"Yes, the Queen of Hearts has requested your presence this evening. I'll take you to the palace after breakfast".

"But… but what should I wear?" Rick stammered, trying to process all the information that was just given to him.

"She said that she wants you to wear the clothes you have on now. She wants you to look natural".

"But they're all torn".

Horatio shrugged, pulling on his suit coat and walking out of the bedroom. Rick stood there, looking into the air that the other man once occupied. Shaking his head, Stetler went back into the bathroom to take his shower.

***

The two men sat opposite each other at a cluttered kitchen table. Books and watches and dirty dishes covered most of the table, leaving very little room for Horatio and Rick to have their eggs and bacon.

"Tea?" Horatio offered, holding up the tea pot.

"No thank you".

"I hate to see you dehydrated, Rick. You have a long day ahead of you".

Rick sighed deeply. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. Who was the queen and what use could he be to her? He wanted to run away from this place; to just run out the front door and away from the forest, away from the palace. There was a time when he thought that if he could run far enough as fast enough that problems would just disappear. We all think that when we're little. Was there really something so terribly wrong with it that it couldn't be true? He just didn't want things to be so out of his hands anymore.

Rick was lost in thought. He didn't remember eating the rest of his breakfast. He didn't remember Horatio clearing the dishes. He didn't notice that Horatio had taken his face in his hands. In fact, he didn't pay much attention to anything until he felt the white haired man's lips brush over his.

Rick's once half-lidded eyes shot wide open. Part of him wanted to push away, but the other part of him wanted to pull Horatio down onto his lap. He decided to just hold still until the older man would break the kiss. _The kiss_… Horatio was actually kissing him. But why? Rick let his eyes drift shut, deciding not to question it and to just enjoy the moment. He hadn't been kissed for a long time, and Horatio's lips were so gentle and soft.

After what felt like hours, Horatio finally pulled away. He rested their foreheads together as they caught the breath that they didn't realize they had taken from each other.

"What was that for?" Rick whispered, not irritated as much as he was curious.

"I wanted to tell you that I care about you," Horatio cooed, "but I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me if I just said it".

Rick didn't know what to say or where this was going. What exactly did Horatio feel for him? What did they want from each other?

"I…" Rick stammered, "I care about you too".

"You've been very patient throughout this whole ordeal, and I have to commend you for that," Horatio smiled, helping Rick to his feet, "You have listened carefully and followed instructions. But soon you will have to start choosing your own path. I want you to decide what you truly believe to be best, no matter how much you feel you have to choose otherwise. Don't be afraid, Rick. I'll always be here for you".

Horatio's bright blue eyes looked so soft and loving. Before he knew what he was doing, Rick pulled the shorter man into his arms and crashed their lips together again. Horatio pushed away, but only for a split second. In an instant, long pale fingers were grasping at Rick's neck, shoulders, and lower back. The two men moaned softly with the sensation. Neither knew what they really felt for each other, but nothing ever felt so right.

Slowly they broke apart, their cheeks flushed and their bodies warm. Hands wandered down onto each other's hips, neither wanting to drop the embrace.

"Horatio?" Rick gasped softly, not able to find words for what he was feeling.

"I…" The blue eyed man turned his face away, trying to hide the fact that his cheeks were turning pink, "I think we had better get going".

"Yeah… I was thinking that too," Rick lied.

Horatio smiled weakly at the younger man, leading him out of the small house and back onto the dirt path.


	6. The Palace

Thank you for the reviews, Padfoot57 and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Six: The Palace**

It was a short walk before the woods thinned out, exposing the rolling hills that lay beyond the forest's edge. The palace stood on a hill top, surrounded by a lush garden. The palace was made up of towers, each one topped with an onion dome, like those on Saint Basil's Cathedral. From a distance, it looked like it was made out of solid gold.

"It's beautiful at night," Horatio commented, noting how entranced Rick was by the scene set before him, "every tower, every dome, and every spire is lit up with millions of little tiny lights. That and the gold make it visible for miles on a clear night".

"And the Queen of Hearts lives there?"

"Yeah, but the White Queen has come to visit for a while, along with her knights".

"But otherwise, she lives there alone?"

"Not at all, she has the rest of the deck. But she has made herself out to be the most important".

"What about the King of Hearts?"

"We're not supposed to talk about him".

Rick stopped, a little puzzled as he stood there in thought. Horatio took a few steps before he realized that his companion was no longer with him. He turned around and watched Rick think for a while.

"There are lots of things you're not supposed to talk about here, aren't there?" the brunette finally concluded.

"Unfortunately so," Horatio nodded, motioning Rick to keep walking.

"Why?"

"There are many things that are better left unsaid".

"I'm afraid I will have to disagree".

This time it was Horatio who stopped. He turned towards his younger companion and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Rick," Horatio sighed, "believe me, I wish you would never have to know why we must be silent about these things. I don't want them to hurt you too".

Rick stood there with Horatio's hand on his shoulder. In all truth, he wanted to know what these forbidden things were so he could save Horatio from them. But he could never work up the nerve to admit it. Nervously, he spoke again.

"Shall we change the subject then?"

"Of course," Horatio smiled, letting go of Rick's shoulder and continuing on the path, "To what? I can speak on many things. Shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, of cabbages and ki- well… cabbages at any rate. Of why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."

The brunette chuckled looked up in thought for a moment before he finally answered, "let's just speak on poetry".

***

The palace was much closer now, the fine details of the architecture now visible to Rick.

Hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds decorated the stained glass windows. Everything from the windows to the ornate archways was outlined in strips of gold. The garden that led up to the grand entrance was filled with white marble statues and red roses, making Rick wince with the painful memories. The statues were all of soldiers in combat, swords drawn and in full armor.

"Before we go in," Horatio paused, stopping Rick, "I just need to talk to someone".

"Can I come with you?" Rick whimpered, eyeing up the roses' thorns and the statues.

"Of course," the older man smiled at him.

Rick was led around the side of the palace to an enormous chess board. It was on a raised platform with elaborate candelabras on each corner. Only a few knights and some pawns wandered around aimlessly.

"Hi Calleigh!" Horatio waved at a short, thin woman.

She had long blonde hair and was dressed in glistening white armor. She was like a centaur if the human half was coming out of the horse's mid back. The horse had its full body, head and all, yet it was controlled by its 'rider'.

"Oitaroh ih," she exclaimed, galloping up to him.

She pulled Horatio into a quick hug before she broke away and looked Rick over for a few seconds.

"Mih siht si?"

Horatio gave her an affirmative nod. Rick just stood there looking confused.

"Eh seod ,sdrawkcab gnikaeps m'I wonk t'nseod eh?"

"No, I don't think so".

Rick smiled and waved politely, not wanting to seem rude or anything like that. If this was anything like the Calleigh he knew, she wouldn't like him much.

"Rof ni s'eh tahw aedi yna evah eh seod?"

"I think it better if he not get too nervous about it?"

"Who?" Rick piped up, "About what?"

"Etuc s'taht".

Rick opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He was just here on Horatio's invitation, anyways.

"Llew neeuq ruoy evres dluow eh kniht I".

"If that is how things play out," Horatio shrugged.

"Esiwrehto esoohc d'eh kniht uoy?"

Horatio shrugged and raised his eyebrows.

"Ees I," she nodded in understanding, "Yb gnippord rof sknaht".

"Anytime," Horatio said with a smile and a little wave.

Rick watched the chess board's pieces return to their aimless wandering as Horatio led him away. He couldn't help but to notice that his companion was getting more and more cryptic. He did this in the life Rick once knew when he was nervous; perhaps it is the same here.

Horatio brought them to the large grand doors leading into the palace. He tapped on the large doorknocker, shaped like the head of a lion. Rick raised an eyebrow as the lion flinched and opened its jade eyes.

"Hello, Horatio," the lion yawned, its voice sounding a lot like Frank Tripp.

"Let us in?" Horatio smiled.

"'Us'?"

Horatio stepped aside and revealed the younger man standing behind him. The lion squinted before he spoke.

"Come here," he ordered, "let me get a look at you".

Rick timidly approached the head until he was close enough to watch the shining eyes examine him.

"I thought as much," Frank grunted after a long moment, "alright, I'll let you two in".

The lion's eyes closed and the giant doors swung back, opening up into a grand room.

It was lit only by the natural light, streaming in from the stained glass windows, bathing the hall in color. The floors where made of alternating squares of white and black marble. There were dozens of large pillars that were made of alabaster, so were the sweeping staircases that lead up to the second floor balcony. A large fountain stood between the staircases; in the middle of the tumbling water was a sculpture of a falling deck of cards that extended all the way up to the ceiling.

Horatio smiled as he saw Rick's breath be taken from him with the view. He placed his hand on Rick's shoulder.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Rick turned to answer, but his breath caught. When he looked down into Horatio's eyes, they were the bluest and most luxurious he had ever seen. Of all azure pools Rick had ever crossed, those were the ones he most wanted to drown in. They seemed so inviting… so perfect.

"Yeah," Rick stammered, "beautiful".

Horatio blushed and ducked his head. Rick moved his hand to gently cradle the side of the older man's face, but the echoing sound of footfalls made him stop.

"Hey, Baby," a woman's voice sounded, "You brought a friend, I see".

Rick turned around, his eyes falling upon the gentle and nurturing face of Alexx Woods. Her hair was a mess of curls and spirals, braided with white ribbon. Their configuration appeared to make a white crown on her head. She wore a long white dress that brushed against the floor when she walked. In her hand was a white scepter, studded with pearls and diamonds.

"Yes, Alexx," Horatio blushed slightly as he gave his young companion a little shove towards her, "This is Rick".

"Ahhh," she sighed, holding her chin and resting a fingertip on the corner of her mouth as she looked him over, "so you're the one everybody's been talking about?" Rick watched as she circled him a few times, "Well… you have my blessing, Rick".

"Thank you".

"God help you".

Rick opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Her last comment had left him without words. He was left standing there, his mouth agape as she stepped around him and walked off.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

Horatio sighed and placed a hand on Rick's shoulder, "Don't worry about her. She can get a little… off".

_For this world, that's quite impressive, _Rick thought as Horatio motioned him towards one of the grand staircases.

"**Rabbit!**" a voice boomed from out of nowhere.

Rick spun around, looking for the source. But the echo made it difficult to tell where it was originally coming from, or even who was talking. All he knew was that the voice was female.

"Yes, your highness?" Horatio called out to no particular direction.

"**I thought I told you to escort him here. What happened to his clothes?**"

"Some complications occurred. I'm terribly sorry for-"

"**-I should have your head for this!**"

"Please!" he gasped, spinning around, obviously not sure of the voice source as well, "I did as you asked. It took a little longer, but he's here. And aside from a few scratches, he's safe".

There was a pause. Rick watched as Horatio's ears drooped and his tail quivered slightly. Frightened blue eyes darted around the hall. Unsure of how to respond to this, Rick put a hand on the older man's shoulder and gave him a comforting glance.

"**Very well**".

Horatio breathed a sigh of relief.

"**Take him to his chamber, get him a change of clothes. Get him ready for tonight**".

"Yes, your majesty," the older man nodded with a gentle bow.

Rick and Horatio stood in silence for a while as the echoes reverberated their last across the castle. The white haired man cleared his throat to get Rick's attention. Rick turned and was led towards and up the flight of stairs.

"Follow me," Horatio said softly.

***

"Just a few steps farther now," Horatio cooed, "you're almost there".

Rick yawned to disguise his heavy breathing, it was a façade Horatio could see right through. "My…" the brunette panted, "My pace has been a little slow since I acquired a deep cut to my leg".

"Yeah, and five flights of spiral staircase will wear you out too".

Horatio chuckled as he pushed open an arched wooden door, leading into a good sized room. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of large, grey stones. There were three large windows, all stained glass with card symbols on it; a spade was on his right, a club on his left, and a heart on the far side of the room, the diamond was in the stairwell.

Butted up against the club's wall was a golden bed with an ornate head and foot board. It was dressed in deep red sheets and thick crimson blankets; huge pillows were piled near the headboard. A large canopy draped over and wrapped around the bed. It was made of sheer black fabric with silver stars sewn into it.

"The queen has requested you rest here until the ceremony," Horatio crooned, giving Rick a gentle nudge into the bedroom.

Rick looked around. A large wardrobe stood under the spade window, a deep walnut piece that had a three-panel full-length mirror next to it. A large bookshelf was standing next to the door on one side and a cushy fainting couch was placed on the other. On the opposite side of the couch was another door, although not as elegant as the one Horatio led him through.

"I trust you can make yourself comfortable?" the low and husky voice whispered to Rick as the brunette parted the thin curtain and ran his hand over the soft sheets.

Rick turned to the older man, "what time… how long until… when…" all his questions drifted to a stop as he realized that he had no way of telling time. Horatio just nodded in understanding.

"I'll come and get you. And if you need anything- _anything_ at all, just pull the cord next to your bed three times. I'll come right to you within five minutes".

Rick turned and for the first time noticed a large woven gold cord hanging down from the ceiling and next to his bed. A little tassel was on the end, hanging at about the same height as the mattress.

"Okay," Rick nodded as he saw Horatio take a step out the door.

"I'll be right back with your change of clothes. In case you're wondering, the room to the left of us is your bathroom. But I shouldn't be too long. Just… just stay here".

"Alright," Rick nearly whispered as he watched the white haired man slowly close the door behind him.

As soon as Horatio's footfalls faded into the silence, the brunette ran into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet to the golden sink and immediately began splashing nearly freezing water into his face. This was the first moment he had alone since his cold shower that morning, and he thought that _that_ would calm him down. But that kiss… there was something more to it than Horatio said there was. You don't let someone see you walk out of the shower and then within the hour kiss them for some different reason. No… there's something there.

He looked up at his reflection in the mirror, "C'mon Rick, pull yourself together".

"Why?"

Rick straightened up and spun around. He was all alone in the room. After pulling a towel off a nearby towel hook and drying his face, he spoke.

"Hello? Who said that?"

"I did".

Rick kept looking around until he heard this distinctive sound of glass being tapped on. That's what made him see it…

It spoke.

"Hi".

Rick startled.

It startled.

Absolutely bewildered Rick stared into the mirror and at his own reflection. His reflection just rolled his eyes and leaned against the sink.

"Are you done gawking? Honestly, you act like you've never seen a reflective surface before".

"I have, but previously my reflections have been less opinionated and independent".

"Well, I think it's time _you_ reflect".

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

This caught Rick a little off guard; he blinked a few times before he could respond. "Erm… no".

"You're trying to hide what you feel for Horatio," the reflection explained, "_that_ is a hopeless cause. He means a lot to you, anyone can see that. And I think he figured it out around the time you tried to make out with him in his kitchen".

Rick blushed, "I didn't try to… do that to him".

"Oh please".

"What's your point?"

"My point is 'why hide it anymore?'. All or nothing. It's now or never. You know? All that good stuff".

"You don't understand, I need to calm down," Rick hissed quietly in case Horatio walked in, "I don't want to end up jumping him or something".

"Oh come on. You have more self-control than that".

"And I can't think of a more horrible scenario to find out if you're wrong. I can't risk it".

"Why would things go wrong?"

"Because it would be just he and I… in a secluded part of the castle… alone… with a bed". Rick watched the reflection blink in response before giving a little nod in prompt to continue. "Apparently I can call him to the chamber whenever I want… he said he'd do anything for me. I don't know if that's because he wants to or he has to… but he sounded serious. I've been thinking about taking him up on the offer. I'd start with some small things… then-," he stopped to shake his head, "who am I kidding?"

"Don't know unless you try".

Rick growled softly and rolled his eyes, "how do my actions even affect you, anyways?"

"I don't like looking miserable or paranoid all the time".

"I am _not_ miserable and paranoid all the time".

"You're being both right now".

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"For starters," Rick's reflection sighed as he put his hands on his hips, "you can be a bit more forward with him. Take command. If he really doesn't want it, you'll sense his discomfort; but he WILL want it, so you won't".

"What if he just pretend he wants it but really doesn't?"

"Why would he do that?"

"He's under orders- do whatever I tell him to".

"Then tell him that he wants it".

Rick dropped his face into the palm of his hand, "it doesn't really work that way".

"So?"

"What if he's not under my orders at all, just the queen's?"

"So?"

"No, not 'so?'! What if she doesn't want him messing around with the guests? Something, which I think, is a distinct possibility".

"'Messing around'? Just how far are you planning to go with this guy?"

"Did you only catch two words from what I just said?"

It shrugged, "Maybe".

Rick sighed deeply and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, have it your way," Rick's reflection groaned, "take it slow. But not so slow that it crawls to a halt. Okay?"

"Alright".

Rick quickly left the mirror to poke his head back into the bedroom. After confirming the fact that he was still indeed alone with his reflection he went back to the mirror.

"What was that all about?" it asked him.

"I was just making sure tha-"

"You were being paranoid again".

"I don't want him overhearing this".

Rick's reflection opened and closed his mouth before pausing to look out into the distance. Rick turned around and after confirming his impression that there was nothing behind him, he turned back.

"What's wrong?"

The reflection continued staring.

"Hello?" Rick tapped on the glass, earning the reflection's attention again.

"Sorry, I was away".

"I noticed".

"He's coming".

"What?"

"He's on his way up, get back into the bedroom".

"How do you-"

Rick cut himself off, noticing that his reflection was once again moving with his actions again. He glared at it before he returned to the bedroom and pretended to examine the stained glass windows as he waited for Horatio.


	7. There's a Lot I'll Have Missed

Thank you for the reviews, my anonymous reader, Padfoot57, and Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Seven: There's a Lot I'll Have Missed…**

There was a soft knock on the door, the nearly silent sound echoing in the quiet chamber. It's only rival was Rick's quickening heartbeat. The brunette had removed his socks and shoes after his own footsteps and pacing became a distraction. His bare feet lightly padded over a white fur rug as he rushed to the black iron handle of the door.

"Horatio," he softly greeted, letting the older man in the room.

"I'm sorry I took so long," he sighed as he walked over to the bed to lay out a white and red outfit, not even noticing Rick closing the door behind him. "I have duties regarding the… events tonight. But you still are my first priority. I hope it wasn't too long a wait".

"It wasn't".

Horatio shivered, the voice came from right behind him. He could feel the breath on the nape of his neck and the warmth of the younger man's body against his back. The white haired man bit down on his lip, he knew his service was to the queen and that is was by her mercy that he was kept and allowed to have free will. What kept him from losing his mind, like Eric did, or his body, like Frank did, was his self control. It wasn't like he didn't have anything taken from him, but he was doing quite well compared to the others. What's more, he knew that he was feared to some degree; if he wasn't then he wouldn't have been forced to work for the queen.

But now… with Rick… things seemed different. Rick was insulted, tricked, disoriented, and got scratched up in the forest; yet he was better off than anyone else. He was free. He didn't even know how much danger he was in. Horatio closed his eyes and heard a distant voice come from his memory. 'There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity'.

He smiled at that.

But there was something more to Rick. It wasn't just his innocence. He made Horatio feel alive again. Like there was some world beyond the confusion and prison he knew. Maybe… somehow… Rick could take him there one day. The two kisses they shared seemed to almost take him to that place; that beautiful and perfect place he liked to imagine that Rick came from. How close Rick stood almost made Horatio feel the warmth from that heaven breathe against him.

His hands rested on top of Rick's arms, which were coiling around his waist. He couldn't remember the last time he was held so close. Was he ever held this close before? Memories were slipping a little bit further with each passing day. Deciding that he wasn't, Horatio relaxed into the embrace.

The windows were tinted. There were no eyes on them. And even though Horatio knew that he might just have the last portions of precious freedom taken away from him, he felt it was worth it. If he was caught being at all intimate with Rick, the queen would… well… he didn't want to think about it. But what he was doing… with the orders he followed night and day… that wasn't living. Now Rick… he knew how to live. And although Horatio knew that if he was caught and killed for this, that there would have been so much he wouldn't have done in life; but at least he wouldn't have been dead before the blade would come down on his neck.

It was more than the rush that life gave though. There was something in the embrace, a sense of desire that Horatio didn't know people could feel for him. And although he couldn't quite put his finger on what the emotion was, he knew he felt it for Rick in return.

He bit his lip again and let his head roll back as he felt the brunette nuzzle into his shoulder.

"What are we doing, Rick?"

"I don't know".

Rick breathed happily into Horatio's silver hair, taking in the other man's distinctive and musky scent. It was heavenly. Heavenly and a little intoxicating. He chuckled into the pale skin of Horatio's neck.

The older man smiled as the vibrations from Rick's laugher surged through his body. Slowly, he turned around in the embrace to face Rick. For the first time, he let himself get lost in those eyes; those deep, dark, and decadent eyes. They felt like they just went on and on forever, like they were windows into a universe within him. They were infinite, yet comforting.

"Rick".

The brunette could do nothing but hum gently in response. He had to admit, he always felt these things for Horatio. But before now he only dare dream that they could possibly be returned.

Horatio took a shaky breath before he continued. "Let me kiss you again".

"Gladly".

The voice came on a whisper as Rick dipped down to meet his lips against those of the shorter man. They fought over control, eventually Horatio was pushed into a sitting position on the edge of the bed with Rick on his lap. He gasped as his lower lip was sucked into a warm and wet mouth. The sensation of a tongue running over it sent a shock down his spine.

"Rick," he gasped, quickly pulling away.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know," the white haired man admitted, "it's just that I… I…" he turned away for a moment, "I never felt anything like this before".

The truth was that it wasn't just the sensation he was feeling, it was something deeper. What's more is that it was something that he was taught to be afraid of. The queen herself had even told him that he shouldn't be allowed to love; he'd just get hurt again. And although he couldn't remember what had happened to make his heart break, he knew that he felt incomplete. There was something between Eric, Speed, and Ryan that he just didn't…no… couldn't have.

But with Rick, there was something there. Since he could first remember seeing Rick, he felt something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't until Rick had that breakdown the night before that Horatio saw Rick's true nature. The man hiding behind the façade of ruthlessness and snarky comments; a fragile, scared, lonely man who just needed comfort… a man he could fall completely in love with… a man he did fall completely in love with. And for the first time, he wasn't afraid of love. In fact, it was all he wanted; to love and be loved. But after all that supposedly happened, he wasn't sure if it was right.

Rick caught Horatio's chin in his large hands, holding the older man's face up until those blue eyes gazed into his own. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Horatio".

"It isn't?"

"No," Rick smiled, leaning forward and giving him a peck on the cheek, "it's sweet".

The brunette smiled as he watched a light red blush wash over the other man's pale cheeks. An almost playful smile quickly spread across Horatio's lips as a short and soft laugh came out of him.

The blush intensified and his breath was whisked away as Rick's soft lips pressed against his own. Horatio's body was slowly lowered onto the mattress next to Rick's outfit as the brown eyed man gently lay down on top of him.

"Oh God, Horatio," Rick purred into the older man's neck, "I could kiss you forever".

"I… I…" Horatio turned his face away, "I don't think we should be doing this".

Rick sat up, still straddling the older man's hips as he looked down into sapphire eyes, "why not?"

"The queen wouldn't appreciate this".

"Well," Rick sighed, refusing to get off of Horatio, "what were your orders?"

The white haired man shifted slightly, knowing that he _should_ get up. But there wasn't a cell in his body that wanted to do what he _should_ be doing. "My exact orders are to 'do everything in my power to make sure that you are comfortable and at ease for this evening'".

"Well then," Rick smirked, "I would be _most_ comfortable lying here and pressing my lips against you".

Horatio smiled as he relaxed his body back into the mattress, looking up at the younger man. He shivered as Rick's fingers made a feather light path along his sides. His arms sprawled out on the soft blankets somewhere above his head. He was completely under the brown eyed man's control. He wanted to be.

Rick leaned forward and hovered over the pale and trembling body of his friend. Well… someone perhaps more than a friend. A lover? No. Too soon to tell. Whatever he was he was making a smile unfurl across Rick's features.

"Close your eyes and open your mouth for me, Horatio".

There was a slight twinkle in Horatio's eye before his lids drifted shut. As if part of him knew what was going to happen. He didn't know exactly what Rick had in store for him, but he knew that he was definitely going to enjoy it.

The blush that was heavy on Horatio's cheeks swept over his body as soon as Rick's tongue lightly brushed against his own. He let out a muffled moan and his hands came to cradle the brunette's head, clutching at fistfuls of hair to keep him in place. It was amazing, and Horatio never wanted it to end. Breathing was overrated anyways.

After a long and warm moment, after the need for air became too great for the men to deny anymore, they broke the kiss. The white haired man watched as Rick got up and moved the outfit onto the fainting couch. His heartbeat quickened as Rick turned back to look at him; the expression in his eyes almost predatory.

"Take off your shoes," Rick smiled as he approached the side of the bed, "relax. Get comfortable. Stay a while".

Horatio toed off his shoes and socks before Rick guided him to the middle of the bed. Their lips met for another deep kiss as their bodies tangled. They only stopped for a brief moment when Rick pulled the curtain shut behind them. Horatio trembled as he felt the taller man's slender legs rub up against his own. Their arms were wrapped around each other, their bodies rolling from side to side and neither man taking the dominant position.

The white haired man was nearly breathless as he was finally pinned down, his head resting on a pile of soft pillows. He watched as Rick straddled his hips and sat up. Lightly, Horatio rested his hand on Rick's thigh as his eyes scanned up the younger man's long and lean body. He never imagined that someone so slender could at the same time be so overpowering.

"Rick," he whispered breathlessly as Rick started unbuttoning his ripped shirt.

"Horatio," the brunette acknowledged with a slight smirk, "Excuse me for being so forward, but how far do you want to go with this?"

"As far as I can".

The answer caught Rick off guard, he thought for sure that he would be given a line that Horatio wasn't comfortable with him crossing. But this… it was at best unexpected. He heard a soft chuckle below him, obviously a reaction to the look of shock that washed over Rick's face.

"That's about as far as I want to go too," the brunette admitted, "but… are you sure?"

"Rick," Horatio sighed, sitting up and watching Rick take off his shirt and toss it into a heap at the foot of the bed, "I'm not sure if we could ever be like this again".

"Why?"

Horatio just looked away. It was the same fear and uncertainty that Rick sensed earlier that day when the older man's hair turned from red to white, and when they dipped into the subject of the king. A relationship between the two of them was probably as forbidden as talking about what was really going on in this world.

"It's okay," Rick whispered, reaching down and stroking Horatio's cheek, "I understand. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone".

"Thank you".

Rick leaned down and captured the other man's mouth in his own again, their tongues sliding against each other. His hands gripped onto stands of silver hair, not wanting to ever let go or break the kiss. Horatio ran his hands down the gentle curve of Rick's back, feeling the warm and smooth skin. It made him crave – no… _need_ more.

In the next instant, the kiss they never wanted to end was replaced by a moment of frantic tugging at clothing. Horatio was unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as his nervous hands would let him. Rick sat up again and pulled off his belt before popping the button of his slacks and slowly drawing the zipper down over his bulge.

Horatio's trembling and sweating hands only managed to get partway down his shirt before he was distracted by the handsome image of Rick pulling off his pants. The brunette smiled down at his soon-to-be lover as he shuffled the trousers off his legs and put them in the heap at the foot of the bed. A smirk crossed his lips as he eyed up the large and growing bulge in Horatio's pants.

"Want me to take care of that for you, Horatio?" he crooned as he slowly lowered himself enough to breathe over the arousal.

Horatio nodded before his hands gave up with the button task and fell limply to his sides. Rick opened the other man's pants on his own, feeling Horatio trembling beneath him. He dipped his long fingers into Horatio's boxers, exposing his hard and pulsating cock.

Rick lightly pressed his soft and slightly swollen lips against Horatio's tip. He heard half of a moan, looking up just in time to see the other man bite down on his lip.

"It's okay, Horatio," Rick whispered against the length, "just keep breathing".

The brunette smiled to himself as he heard a ragged breath. He slowly ran his tongue up along the vein of Horatio's shaft. His hands moved to hold down the other man's legs, which began to shake a little.

_I can hardly believe this is happening_.

He parted his lips and lightly sucked the now leaking tip into his mouth.

_I have no reason to believe that this is real._

Another muted moan cut through the silence of the bed chamber as Rick pressed down on the head with his tongue.

_But that doesn't seem to matter much to me anymore._

He let his eyes drift shut as he swallowed Horatio down and his nose was buried in the white curls of his crotch.

_Oh God… how long have I needed to do this?_

Fingers laced in his short brown hair, guiding his head up and down along the cock. Rick relaxed his throat as he felt Horatio begin to roll his hips with a light thrust. One of the hands left the back of his head before Horatio began to thrust wildly, fucking Rick's mouth.

A shiver shot down Rick's spine as he felt Horatio's essence spill down his throat. He heard muffled moans above him that died off along with the thrusts. After taking a moment to savor the taste of Horatio in his mouth, Rick let the now soft cock slide out of the wet cavern. The second hand came back to stroke him as he was licked clean. When Rick looked over he noticed that there was a deep red and brown bite mark under the thumb.

"Do you want more?" Rick smiled, resting his chin on Horatio's hip.

"There's more?"

Rick furrowed his brow before he sat up, a little concerned. "Yeah, of course there's more". He sighed. "Horatio… you've never been with a man before, have you?"

He thought for a moment before he answered, "I don't think so… I can't remember being with anyone before… ever".

Rick bit his lip before nodding slowly, "So… you're essentially a virgin?"

"I guess so… is that a problem?"

"No. None at all… just…" Rick shook his head, chasing away any doubt he had left in his mind, "I'll be gentle with you… I mean… if you do want to go all the-"

"-I do".

Rick smiled sweetly before he climbed up Horatio's body and lightly brushed their lips together. "You stay here, take off your clothes, get under the sheets if you want. I just need to grab a few things".

"Okay".

Rick gave his new lover a final glance before he parted the curtains and slipped off the bed.


	8. But I'll Not Have Been Dead When I Die

Thank you for the review, Duckies (FanFiction)

Thank you for the reviews, Wolfsong98 and penguinfighter (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Eight: …But I'll Not Have Been Dead When I Die**

"Way to go, Rick!"

Rick turned to look over at his reflection, who seemed to be quite happy for him.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," the brunette smirked before he turned himself back to the task at hand. "But I'm a little busy now. You can thank me later".

"Why? What's up?"

Rick didn't answer and instead ducked down to look for something under the sink. The reflection left in the mirror leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the glass, trying to get at enough of an angle to see his host body.

"Rick? What are you doing?"

He didn't answer and instead just shut the cupboard under the sink. His reflection watched as he began to dig around in a tall and thin cabinet next to the tub.

"You looking for something?"

Rick groaned and rolled his eyes before responding, "yes. And I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'm sorry if I don't want to talk now".

"Why? What's the rush?"

"I kind of have someone waiting for me right now. We'll talk later?"

"Wait. Horatio's still in there?"

Rick stormed over to the mirror and looked his reflection right in the eye. He growled for a moment before he could gather himself up enough to continue. "Yes. He is. He's waiting for me to come back. I can't go back until I find lotion or something to that effect".

"'Lotion'? What do you need lotion fo- oh".

Rick's frustration was temporarily replaced with amusement as his reflection blinked a few times, trying to process all the information he was just given.

"Yeah," Rick smirked, "can you just tell me where it is?"

"Where you were looking a few seconds ago. Top shelf".

"Thank you".

Sure enough, a good sized bottle of aloe lotion was sitting on the top shelf. Rick grabbed it, walked past his stupefied reflection, and slipped back into the bedroom.

***

As Rick pulled the curtain back he saw his new lover waiting patiently on the mattress. His creamy skin was a beautiful contrast to the dark blankets that surrounded him. A pool of dark fur covers lay across his lap, censoring him. His crystal blue eyes shone in the low light as he reached out a hand, inviting Rick back onto the bed.

The brunette flashed a timid smile before he shuffled off his boxers and climbed in beside Horatio, tossing the bottle of lotion onto the mound of discarded clothes at the foot of the bed. Their lips met once again as they pulled each other down under the blankets, their hands gliding all over each other's bodies. They both moaned low and soft into each other's mouths as the contact of skin on skin was finally fulfilled. Horatio pressed his lips against the gentle sloping curve of Rick's neck as his hands wandered down the younger man's sleek and slender form.

Rick's eyes drifted closed as he felt Horatio gently suck on his neck. He dragged his fingers through the soft silver hair of the other man, mussing it up as the juncture of his neck and shoulder was sucked on. The brunette moaned softly, wanting to cry out in pleasure. He had to come clean to himself; he _has_ wanted Horatio for a very long time. He was helplessly attracted to the older man's discipline and poise, not to mention his young face and brilliant eyes.

Rick smirked to himself as he felt Horatio's body grow warm and an arousal dig into his thigh. He lightly nipped at the other man's lips again before whispering, "are you ready now, Horatio?"

The white haired man could do little more than nod, the feeling of Rick's body rubbing against his almost too much for him.

Rick lay Horatio down on his back before sitting down between his legs and rubbing the lotion between his hands, warming it. His eyes widened as Horatio immediately shifted his position until he was on his hands and knees. The white tuft of fur that was his tail gave a little twitch, a silent beg from the older man.

"Horatio," Rick gulped, placing a hand on the small of the other man's back, just above the tail, "you know… there are other positions you and I could be in".

"I'd much rather this way… if you don't mind".

"No… I don't mind at all".

Rick slowly ran the palm of his left hand down Horatio's strong but pale legs, rubbing some of the lotion into his warm skin. His soft brown eyes scanned over the two full globes of the older man's backside. It wasn't like he had never been with a man before, Rick had several past lovers. But out of all of them, he had never seen anyone so willing. He never knew that any man could desire him as much as Horatio did. He had never felt so trusted before.

"I'm going to need to stretch you," Rick said softly, still stroking the white haired man's hip, "if I don't I could end up hurting you".

Horatio gave a little nod, "alright".

Slowly, Rick circled his new lover's hole a few times before he slipped the digit in. Horatio immediately clamped up and cringed at the sensation.

"It'll burn a little until you're used to it," Rick cooed, "It's always a little awkward at first".

Rick watched the white hair and ears bob up and down in a nod. The tail gave a little twitch before Rick felt Horatio relax. Rick continued to press his finger into the other man, making sure to slowly get all the way in before pumping lightly.

"Breathe, Horatio".

The older man took in a ragged breath and shakily let it out as Rick slipped in another finger. The brunette couldn't help but to smirk as he heard a soft moan beneath him. He pumped for a few moments before he began scissoring. There was another moan before Horatio bucked against the hand.

"Woah, calm down".

"I… I want…"

"I know what you want," the brunette smirked, "are you ready for it?"

Horatio could hardly speak, he just tried to take Rick's fingers in deeper again.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm not done stretching you yet".

As Rick slicked up and pressed in a third digit, Horatio's arms gave out and he collapsed onto the pillows. Rick's eyes widened as he realized for the first time that sweat was beginning to form along his back, making his body glisten.

With his free hand Rick began slicking up his stiff and wanting cock. He watched Horatio tremble in anticipation once he pulled his digits out. Grabbing the two hemispheres of Horatio's ass, Rick positioned himself.

"Breathe".

"Breathe," the white haired man echoed, more reassuring himself than anything.

Rick pressed his leaking tip against the opening, his eyes drifting shut as he heard a loud 'oh!' moan from beneath him. The words 'oh God' formed on Rick's lips, but he was hardly left with the breath to speak them as he sank into the older man's tight body.

Horatio's muscles stiffened, his eyes drifting shut as he was positive he could feel every inch of Rick's hard cock. It burned, but he never knew it was possible to be so aroused. His eyes slowly closed and his jaw dropped, soft moans coming from his mouth.

"You're doing fine, Horatio," Rick purred, "I'm almost in".

_Almost in_. The words echoed in Horatio's mind. It felt like Rick was pushing in forever already. He released a low groan, Rick's steady hands preventing him from bucking against the probing cock.

After a long moment, the movement stopped and Rick let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. A shiver traveled down Horatio's spine and without being told to, he adjusted his position slightly.

"Ready?"

Rick watched the other man nod, a little uncertain. Slowly, Rick pulled out slightly before gently thrusting back in. It didn't take long to set his and Horatio's rhythm.

"So tight," Rick muttered, gasping as Horatio clamped down on him.

Horatio was gasping for air and beaded with sweat. He moved his arm, wanting to reach down and stroke his hard and leaking cock. Rick's hand slipped around that hot and pale body, gently rubbing against Horatio's erection and nearly making him unravel right there.

"Harder," he gasped, the waves of pleasure coursing through his body.

"Are… are you sure?"

"Yes. Harder".

Rick slowly pulled nearly all the way out before slamming back in and pulling a low groan from Horatio.

"Oh God, Rick!" He gasped, taking a moment to pant before continuing, "again".

Rick's breath was coming in staggered gasps as he pounded into Horatio's sweet and receiving body. He shifted his angle and stroked his lover's prostate. Horatio let out half of a scream before he bit down on his pillow. He thrust wildly into Rick's hand but didn't allow himself to cum just yet.

Rick's eyes opened, he watched as the headboard collided with the wall over and over again. He listened to his lover's soft panting and the bed springs creak in protest to their rocking. There was a small muffled sound Horatio made as he moaned into the pillow again before he bit down into it.

"C'mon, Horatio," Rick purred, "who's going to hear you if you scream?"

Horatio lifted his head for a moment, "N-n-n-n-nob-b-b-b".

Rick watched as his lover muffled another groan.

"Just say my name," the brunette crooned, stroking Horatio's prostate again.

"R-r-r-r-ri-i-i-i-oh God".

"I'll say yours".

The white haired man couldn't speak as Rick quickened his pace and brought him to the edge before backing off a little. He could hardly remember how to make his mouth work. The vibrations from a low purr in Rick's body tore through the older of the two.

"Horatio," he groaned, thrusting deep into his body.

"mmf," Horatio's voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Horatio".

"mmf".

"Horatio!"

"Rmmf".

"HORATIO!"

Rick thrust wildly into his lover's loosened backside, unable to hold himself back as he came hard into him. Refusing to stop pounding into Horatio, the brunette rode out his orgasm.

Not wanting to lose any time, Rick vigorously pumped the other man's straining cock. The sensation made Horatio's spine arch, tossing his head back. Nervous hands gripped at the headboard, his body feeling completely exposed to the world. There was no use in holding it back any more.

"RICK!"

Horatio's release spilled all over the brunette's hand and onto the sheets. But at the same time, something else happened. Something Rick didn't expect.

With Horatio's cry, starting at the root of the tail, his hair darkened into a brilliant red. It was exactly the shade Rick had always remembered the older man having. The younger man's gaze followed up Horatio's back; the white hair and ears had too turned a beautiful crimson shade.

Rick stayed still, on his knees, his hand gripping at Horatio's cock. The color didn't go back to white. Actually, Rick was pretty sure it wasn't going to change back.

Slowly Rick pulled out and let go, letting Horatio collapse onto the mattress.

***

When Horatio opened his eyes he was cleaned up and Rick was crawling into bed beside him. The lids were still heavy and his mind was in a fog. His mind felt like he was flying, but his body was the bed's prisoner; unable to move from the softness that surrounded him. He could nearly hear his once racing heart begin to settle into a steady beat.

"How long was I out?"

Rick shrugged, "I didn't notice, probably just a few minutes. How do you feel?"

Horatio sighed, it was taking more energy to speak and think than he was used to. After a long moment he began to slowly answer Rick's question. "Boneless… exhausted… vulnerable… slightly high".

Rick chuckled as his lover yawned softly, "dead?"

"No. Alive. I've never felt so alive in my entire life. And free".

The brunette pulled the older man into an embrace, pressing their lips together. "You look better with red hair".

"Is it red?"

"Yeah".

A slight smile crossed Horatio's lips, "I thought it might be".

Rick was about to ask about this, but was interrupted by his own yawn. "I'm sorry. I always get a little too tired after".

"Do you nap?"

"Me? Yeah. Usually for about an hour".

"Can I nap with you?"

"Of course you can. Here," Rick turned Horatio around in his arms and spooned up against him, "is this comfortable?"

"Very".

Rick gently kissed the redhead's silky hair, the red fur from the ears tickling at his nose. He smiled at the sensation. Although part of him wanted the Horatio he knew back in Miami to fall for him like this… the rest of him knew that it didn't really matter. Although there was a definite danger that he feared he might soon have to confront. He could be falling in love with an illusion, an idealized version of Horatio that his mind had conjured up for him. But… maybe he had gone mad. Maybe he had already been carted away to a mental institution or a hospital. Well then… maybe this would be the only life he would know. And if that is the case, then it would be better to love even an illusion than to suffer alone.

"Rick?"

"Yeah, H?"

"I want you to know something about me".

Rick had no idea what to even expect from this, but he cautiously bit his lip before whispering, "go on".

"In order to keep me here… or for whatever reason… well, let me try to explain. Almost everyone has been put into some condition that doesn't allow them to wander far. I know Frank used to have a body. Eric and Ryan have both lost their minds, I think Alexx has too… she seems a little off at any rate. Calleigh isn't understood by anyone from outside our kingdoms. My condition is a bit more subtle, the queen doesn't like to think that someone incredibly lost is working for her".

"What are you trying to tell me, Horatio?"

"In order to keep me here I… I have lost my memory. And so I don't have enough time to make up a new past, I keep forgetting things. I don't know how long a memory lasts. I feel like I can remember some images and words from my childhood, I can remember who I met a year ago, but I can't remember any of the conversations I had last week. It's strange, and I can't really tell how it works".

Rick tightened his embrace and pressed his lips against the back of Horatio's neck. He was afraid of where this conversation might be heading.

"What I guess I'm trying to tell you," Horatio sighed, "is that I don't know if I'll remember this". He was kissed again. "I can't promise you that I could recall this if you asked me too. For all I know, it could be gone in an hour".

He wanted to go on, but he didn't want Rick to hear his voice crack. A tear slid down the side of his face, he quickly dried it on the pillow. He knew that apparently there were alternatives to memory loss, but he had no clue as to what they were.

"I never want to forget this, Rick".

"I won't let you".

"I wish I could believe that".

"Every time I see you I'll tell you what happened. I'll tell you every single detail so clearly that you'd have to remember it. I'll stop by your place and we can have that over and over, night after night".

Although he was tempted to point out the implausibility of this option, Horatio just chuckled. The thought was inviting. And the notion of spending every night with Rick thrilled in him ways he never felt before. He began blushing again as Rick crept a leg around his thigh and pulled him close.

"I like the sound of that," the redhead finally whispered.

"That's how things will be," Rick sighed before he yawned into Horatio's shoulder. "But right now we need some sleep. I take it we'll need the energy for whatever is planned for us tonight".

Horatio hummed softly and nodded, yawning again. "Hey, Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I possibly sleep facing you?"

The younger man just smiled and kissed Horatio's hair again before turning him around in his arms. The redhead nuzzled into Rick's shoulder, taking a moment to get comfortable again. Their legs tangled beneath them and their spent cocks lightly brushed together. Rick couldn't help but to chuckle as he felt a shiver travel down the other man's spine.

Rick closed his eyes and waited. He waited until he felt Horatio's breaths even out and his body sink into the mattress. The older man muttered softly in his sleep as Rick cuddled him lovingly.

The brown eyed man took a deep breath before he whispered low, "I love you Horatio. I always have and I always will".


	9. Mind Games

Thank you for the reviews, Duckies and Padfoot57(FanFiction)

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

***

I'm updating this morning instead of last night because I planned to change the update day to Wednesday and only post once a week. Then I realized that I didn't tell you this. So I am now. This'll be the last Monday update for White Rabbit… possibly ever.

"Mission: Crank This Out Before Tim Burton" has failed. I accept that now.

***

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Nine: Mind Games**

Rick's eyes fluttered open. He was still in the golden bed he fell asleep in earlier. The deep sheer curtain was still drawn, blocking out most of the sunlight that got through the stained glass windows. But he was holding onto a large and soft pillow instead of Horatio.

He sat up and looked through the curtain. His lover apparently wasn't even in the room.

_Oh well_, Rick thought, _he probably had business to attend to. What with whatever's going on tonight._

Rick swung his legs over the side of the bed, his eyes wandering over to the outfit Horatio brought in earlier. He should probably put it on soon, before someone made him do it. Getting up, Rick made his way over to the outfit that was lying on the fainting couch. The fabric was soft and welcoming, but Rick knew that he desperately needed to take a shower or bath or something. The scent of sex still clung onto him, he felt too dirty to get dressed.

He dragged his still tired body into the bathroom.

***

"You look spent".

Rick looked over at his reflection, whose talkative nature was starting to grow on him. But the image was right, he did look tired. His hair was mussed and his eyes half lidded.

"Horatio…" was all he could say, his voice drifting off as he remembered his new lover's warm and sensuous body.

"I can't believe that this actually happened," the reflection gushed as Rick turned on the faucet of the gold tub in the middle of the room.

"Neither can I," the host body smiled, "I never realized before today how much I've wanted him. I mean, before I knew I was attracted to him, but… it's just never been so strong".

"So… what are you going to do when you wake up?"

"When I- …oh".

Rick hadn't thought about the problem with reality for quite a while. This could all still be a dream. Well… if it was, it wouldn't have been the first time he got in bed with Horatio. He never looked too much into it before. It made him a little nervous the first time, but after lying in his bed and evaluating it for several hours he decided not to worry. It was sex, it was a dream, and what could he say? Horatio is gorgeous. There is no harm dreaming about getting in bed with a breathtakingly handsome man… despite how often they disagreed. Rick wasn't about to say that it crossed the line to "disturbing" for him. He decided to just sit back and enjoy those dreams… although it was kind of hard to look at Horatio the day after.

_But that's not the important thing_, Rick thought as he lowered himself into the tub, _more than any other dream I had with him, I want that one to be real. I don't care about the weird rabbit thing anymore. I've never sensed a sort of mutual attraction like that before; like I wasn't just a fling… a one-night-stand. I was just so taken by h-… oh no._

"Oh no," he repeated aloud before submerging himself to wet his hair, "It can't be… I don't want to fall in love again".

"What?"

Rick's reflection climbed up on the sink's counter, perching on the gold rim of the basin. He looked curiously down at his host body, shining with a golden light from the candles scattered around the room.

"You don't seriously want to pass this up, do you Rick?"

The original just shrugged, leaning against the rim of the deep tub. He was neck deep in the water, ducking back down into it to re-moisten his hair. "You said a few minutes ago that this isn't even real".

"I didn't say that. I said that you don't know if it's a dream or not".

"What's the difference?"

"You can never quite be sure if you're dreaming or awake… can you?"

Rick scoffed, "that's stupid".

"No it's not, and you know it. The only problem is that you don't want to talk about it, and I'm trying to figure out why".

"Where is Horatio?" the brunette sighed, looking up at his reflection, "I mean, is he the man I was just with or is he still in Miami? Assuming this is real. Assuming I _did_ vanish out of the Miami library and out of the known universe. Who is he? Who is he really?"

"Rick," the image said gently, slouching forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "He is the man you're falling in love with. As much as you don't want to fall in love… as afraid as you are of heartbreak… you're falling in love with him. Whether you like it or not, it's going to happen… it already has".

"You didn't answer my question. Where is he? Is he here or in Miami?"

The reflection took a moment to wipe some of the steam off of the mirror to respond. "What's the difference?"

"One's real and one's a figment of my imagination! There's a big fucking difference!"

"But you assumed that this was all real!"

"Even so… I still don't know what one I fell in love wi- I mean… crap".

He smiled smugly to himself, "now we're getting somewhere".

"Compared to not knowing who you might fall in love with, not knowing who you _did_ fall in love with is a lot worse!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down. Don't get all flustered or you might make yourself faint".

"Well, do you know?"

"What do you think the answer is?"

Rick paused, "I think I fell in love with him in the life I used to know, but he can only return the sentiment here".

"So what's the problem?"

"They're not the same".

"What's the difference? And don't give me that 'one has tall ears and one is a lieutenant' crap; you know that doesn't matter".

"One is real and the oth-"

"-Damnit, Rick! You're not getting it!"

"What the hell are you trying to tell me?! How do I not know what my own reflection is thinking?"

The image took a second to calm down before looking down at his host body. "Rick… Horatio could be some redheaded lieutenant in Miami, or he can be the white eared man who you mean the world to".

"Red eared… and haired," Rick corrected.

"Really? When did that happen?"

"When I was fucking him".

"Really?"

"Yeah".

"That's weird".

They fell silent for a while. Rick grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the ledge of the tub and continued washing his hair.

"And why can't he be the same person?" the reflection went on, "I mean… if you're opening up the floor to possibilities".

"Not now," Rick sighed, quickly rinsing the suds out of his hair, "I just have to function in this world. Philosophies will just confuse and probably end up hurting me".

"So… you accept that you love him… no matter what form he takes?"

Rick paused for a second. "Yes".

"Good," he nodded, climbing down out of the sink basin, "because he loves you".

***

A few minutes later, Rick was dried off and pulling the outfit on. It was a white suit with hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds running in a ribbon down the seam of each pant leg. The shirt was red with two little white hearts decorating the collar. The tie was white with the symbols strewn like confetti all over it. He heard Horatio come in as he was fastening his red heart cufflinks.

"Rick?"

The younger man turned around and bit his lip to keep from crying out in surprise. The hair that was once a beautiful red had turned back to white… but that wasn't all. His skin was incredibly pale, even for him, and the white clothes he was clad in didn't seem as bright as he remembered them. But the worse thing… by far the worse thing… was that the color had been taken from his blue eyes. The irises were white and grey, just like the rest of him. His pupils looked a little cloudy and the rest of his eyes were bloodshot.

"Horatio!" he gasped, running up to him, "your hair! Your eyes! What happened? You're not blind are you?"

"No," the older man said with a little shake of his head.

"But… what happened?"

"Something they won't let me forget".

Rick blinked, pulling his lover into the room and closing the door behind him. "Who?"

He sighed helplessly. He knew that Rick was concerned and that he just wanted to bring justice. And if he could tell him, he would. But he couldn't, so he stayed silent.

The same curse that stole the color from him also silenced him from ever speaking the name of the person who punished him. If he tried to say it, his jaw would lock shut for a few moments, putting his mouth in incredible pain. If he tried to write it down, his hand would cramp up and ache so terribly that he didn't have the strength to hold the pen, let alone write with it. He tried almost everything, even walking in patterns in mud, spelling out the name that way. But when he tried that, he was only able to spell out his own name.

He had been trying in vain for a long time. Whenever his memory was erased, the feeble attempts were never forgotten. For years, Calleigh had been struggling to get the name out of him. If she knew who was responsible, she could retaliate. She once told him that if she could break the curse, then he would be set free and can join the white queen's court.

That fact… that promise of freedom, was also something he could never forget. The person who did this to him would take the color away each time he chose to remember something for the rest of his life.

The first thing he wished to remember was who changed them all into beats in the first place. The color from his all clothes was taken then. He was brought down into a dungeon, his wrists and ankles shackled to the walls. Every stitch of clothing was burned off of him. The terror he felt was forever scorched in his memory. After several hours, he was thrown back out into the daylight. When he got home, all his clothes were white, he tried to dye them, but the inks always just dripped off.

The second thing took the color from his hair; that was when he begged to remember the promise of freedom Calleigh gave him. He was strapped to a chair as patches hair were yanked from his body, pulling pieces of skin with them. He was released after several agonizing hours, thrown into the cold night air. Horatio dragged his bleeding body back to his home. When he woke up the next morning, his hair had grown back to its proper length, but it was as white as his clothes. He tried to dye this too, but it was never successful. He even bought a few wigs, but they always fell apart as soon as he tried to bring them to his head.

Now here he stood; white hair, white clothes, and white eyes. The last of his color was taken from him just a little while ago. The fresh memories of the acid being poured into his eyes would never grow old. His tears just made things worse, their salt stinging the wounds. After… he wasn't sure how long the pain went on, at least from his eyes. He got more than he usually did this time.

"Don't worry about me, Rick," he assured, "I'll be fine".

Rick examined his lover with a worried eye, he was slouching more than usual. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure".

Another nervous look over and he spoke again, "do you remember what happened the last time you came in this room?"

"Of course I do," Horatio smiled warmly, stepping forward and pulling Rick down into a kiss, "you were wonderful"

"Oh… good- I mean… so were you," Rick said, giving him a faint smile, "is your back alright?"

The white haired man nervously looked away, "it's fine… please, Rick, just forget about it".

"Are you sure?" Rick crooned seductively, "Perhaps I can give you a massage? It should just rub the tension right out of you".

Horatio smiled weakly at that as he was led over to the bed for the second time that day.

"Let me just find some oil from the bathroom, okay?"

"Alright," the older man whispered, bringing his lover into a chaste kiss before they briefly parted.

***

"You sure like coming in here," the reflection commented, leaning over the sink, trying to get as comfortable as he could on the plumbing.

"Something's wrong with him," Rick muttered, as he began digging around for massage oil, "I can tell something's on his mind".

"Who? Horatio?"

"Of course Horatio".

"He's back?"

"Yeah… but he's not telling me what's wrong with him".

"What do you mean?"

"His hair is back to white… and his eyes have followed suit".

"White eyes? Like… irises?"

"Yeah… and his pupils to a degree. He looks blind but he's not. I'm really worried about him".

"Wait, so let me get this straight," the reflection muttered, with a little shake of his head, "He walks in with a dramatic change of appearance, something's obviously bothering him, and he's trying to pretend that everything's alright?"

"Yeah," Rick grunted, digging into the back of the cabinets and pulling out a bottle of lavender baby oil.

"Maybe he's afraid of telling you… that whatever was hurting him would find out and just hurt him some more".

"Possible," Rick shrugged, giving the oil a light whiff, before closing the cabinet door, "I won't make him tell me anything if that. I just need him to know that he can trust me… that he's safe with me".

"You think you can protect him from whatever it is?"

"Sure… on a psychological level… I can't give any promises for any physical protection. I'm not exactly the dragon-slaying type of guy… although… for him I could be".

"You'll protect him tough?"

"As far as I can… I can't imagine a life without him".

***

Horatio rested face down on the pillows again. He had pulled off his suit jacket and folded his arms up under his head. With a soft sigh, he sank into the mattress.

_I know what you want, Rick,_ he thought. _But I'm still not going to tell you. I don't want it to hurt you too. I could never let it hurt you._

_But… _he reluctantly wondered, _If all you want is to have that again… we have to be more discreet. I want it too… but I don't think I can endure another-_

He turned his head, his train of thought brought to a sudden stop as Rick stepped back in.

"Your shirt's still on," he noted, "do you want me to take it off for you?"

"Oh… you don't need to, Rick," he smiled, "I'm sorry you went out to dig up the oil, but… that's not really necessary".

"Why not?"

Horatio thought for a second, before he whispered in a husky voice, "I don't want you to be too tempted. We don't have enough time for that".

"I do have some self control, Horatio," Rick smirked. "I think I can go ten minutes without fucking you".

Horatio didn't protest when his new lover climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. The younger man's hands lightly danced all over his partner's back before resting on his shoulders. The white haired man groaned as a warm and talented pair of hands gently dug into his shoulder blades. Rick worked the older man's sense body through the soft fabric of his shirt, smiling to himself as he indulged in the soft noises the other man made.

Rick worked his way down, rubbing roughly into Horatio's back. He dug his hands into the other man's mid back and was rewarded with a low moan. He was about to work his way back up to the shoulders, but when he moved his hands he stopped abruptly, his eyes widening and jaw dropping.

The patch of white shirt Rick was rubbing had turned red. He looked at his palms; his hands were red too. The realization hit him at the same time the distinctive smell did. Horatio was bleeding.

"Rick," the white haired man hummed, turning his head on the pillow, "why'd you sto- no don't!"

Going against Horatio's protest, his own curiosity winning out; Rick pulled up the back of the shirt. The pale and freckled skin was covered with long and shallow gashes. Most were clotted and cleaned up, but one must have been reopened with the massage.

"Horatio," Rick whispered, a little short of breath at the sight, "were you… were you whipped?"

The older man squirmed out from under Rick, sitting up and resting his back against the headboard. He looked nervously up at Rick, who sat there with blood lightly coating his hands.

"I-I'm fine," Horatio stammered, "Don't worry abou-"

"-No! I am going to worry about you. This is serious, what happened?"

Horatio opened his mouth, but as soon as he met those big and trusting brown eyes, he couldn't speak. He wanted to share everything with Rick; he could never want any secrets to be between them, tearing them apart. He wanted to share the rest of his life with Rick. He wanted to share his soul with Rick. He wanted them to be so close that there wouldn't even be any room in their hearts left for God. He wanted the infinity Rick's sad eyes promised… but he knew he could never have it, things being as they are.

Rick watched as a tear slid down his lover's cheek. In that single drop he saw more pain and torment than one man should ever have to live with. Leaning forward, he pulled Horatio into his arms, kissing his neck.

"Look, Horatio," he whispered gently, "I have no idea what you're going through… but I know that you shouldn't have to face it alone".

The older man sniffled back a tear as he nuzzled into Rick's shoulder.

"And it's okay to cry," Rick sighed knowingly, "right now I'd be more worried if you didn't need to".

Horatio's eyes drifted shut as he felt a sharp pain slice through him once again. He could literally feel his heart breaking over Rick. Within seconds, a quiet sob turned into a series of pained and helpless cries; tears falling endlessly onto his love's shoulder.


	10. The Court

Thank you for the review, Padfoot57(FanFiction)

Thank you for the reviews, st_mj and Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Ten: The Court**

Rick lovingly wiped the last of Horatio's tears away before leaning in and pressing his lips softly against his cheek. They had been holding each other on the bed for about an hour. It took a long while before Horatio finally calmed himself down and was able to just peacefully sit with his lover.

"I'm sorry about that," he murmured.

"It's alright," the brunette cooed, "but are you feeling better now?"

"A little".

"You know, you don't have to tell me what's going on; but if you ever feel the need to just let it all out, I'll be here for you".

"I can't tell you, I-"

"-it's okay," Rick sighed with a little shake of his head, "you don't have to".

The white haired man looked away for a moment, humbled by the selflessness of Rick's offer. Whenever he tried to talk to anyone, they always seemed to try to squeeze every drop of information out of him. Most saw him as cold and distant because he didn't want anyone to know about his condition. So many people turned to him; he knew that it would break their hearts if they knew that he would forget who they were at times. That's why he would occasionally call people by their physical traits; the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts.

But he didn't want to stay silent and hide his impairment for much longer. When he looked at Rick he wanted to just say anything and everything that came into his mind; no filter, no restraint. But he promised himself that he wouldn't. If Rick knew what _he_ knew… he didn't want to think about what that would mean for him.

With a soft sigh he slipped off the side of the bed, "we should get going. I can't have you being late".

"Where?"

"Down to the court room, the queen would like you to be present for the trial".

"Who's on trial?" Rick asked, half-expecting the answer _'you are'_. Although why he thought that, he didn't know. He didn't even know how he could half-expect anything. It always seemed like an all-or-nothing sort of deal with expecting things.

"The Mad Hatter," Horatio sighed, picking up his white jacket from the foot of the bed.

"Eric?" Rick muttered, tilting his head, "I knew he was hiding something but…"

"How did you suspect? He doesn't talk about it".

"Well with all the clocks in his house reading 6:00, something had to be up".

"When were you at his house?"

Rick looked up at Horatio from the bed he was smoothing out. In those white eyes he saw only curiosity. This was what he was talking about earlier.

"Do you honestly not remember?"

Horatio looked away. This was why he often had to keep his mouth shut.

"It's okay," Rick said gently, although the sadness in his eyes suggested otherwise, "Just… do you know what he's on trial for?"

He nodded, "killing time".

"'Killing time'?" the brunette echoed, "how?"

"Allegedly," Horatio quickly corrected himself, "They'll explain it to you in the court room; I'll spare you having to hear it twice".

Rick wasn't sure if this was true or if he was just saying that to cover the possibility that he forgot. Either way, he didn't want to anger anyone by making them wait. So, after checking himself over in the mirror, he followed the older man out the bedroom door.

***

The castle made Rick dizzy. He wished that more rooms were like his chamber, with grey stone and gold fixtures. The large halls were filled with a black and white checkered pattern and card symbols hung from every wall in large banners and tapestries. Every step he took seemed to both run together with the one before and after it, leaving him with memories of walking though seemingly endless patterns.

Row after row.

On…

And on…

And on.

Repeating.

Over…

And over…

And over.

Shape.

Color.

The same.

The rooms:

White

And red

And black.

His suit:

White

And red

And black.

Horatio:

White

And white

And white.

He dare not run.

The shapes might follow him forever.

He dare not stand still.

The colors might swallow him.

Even now, it felt like the colors were burned into his eyes.

That they were all he could ever see.

Forever…

And ever.

It all went on…

And on…

And on.

Boring

Into

His

Brain,

Numbing

All

Thoug-

-A hand.

"Rick? Are you alright?"

The brunette blinked hard, trying to force himself out of the trance. His cheeks had grown pale, trying to keep from succumbing to nausea. Although why he tried to hold his bile down, he wasn't sure. At least that would bring him a new color and a new shape.

"I'm getting dizzy," He muttered, rubbing his eyes, "are we almost there?"

"Just one more room," the older man said gently, loosening his grip on Rick's hand.

"No!" he gasped, maybe a little louder than he intended, "I'm sorry. Just… don't let go. I… I feel like I'm going to fall if you don't".

Rick blinked at his own words, he had surprised himself. _I'm going to fall if you don't_. It didn't sound like him… anything he would ever say aloud at least. But it sounded right.

Horatio stopped, turning Rick so that he could look into his eyes. "I won't let go now," he said softly, "but only because we're alone. In the court room… people would rather not see us like this".

The brown eyed man nodded in understanding. Even in this other world, such behavior was frowned upon. But this was a world of secret, things here were better accepted by people in general if they were done behind closed doors. Maybe any public display of affection between anyone was looked down on. There were many things about this place Rick needed to know, but he knew that Horatio wasn't the right person to ask.

The brunette gave a little nod and they walked hand in hand into the next room. The seemingly infinite checkered floor and patterned walls came to an abrupt stop at the base of a large wooden door with golden handles.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Much, thank you".

They let go of each other's hands, the break of connection making both men feel cold. Horatio reached out and pulled gently on the handle, opening the door just enough to let the two of them slip inside.

The court room looked just as the courtrooms Rick was familiar with did. The jury box, judge's stand, everything was in order and made of deep wood. Instead of the eagle that stood above the judge, it was a coat of arms that seemed to be displaying a royal flush.

People were scattered throughout the room, standing together in pockets. Eric and Ryan stood in front of the jury box, muttering to one another. Speed was propped up, evidently he was chosen to be a juror. But they were the few people he could recognize. He saw a man in white robes and a tall pope-ish hat sit, he crookedly in another one of the juror's chairs. Several other men wore sack like garments with the card shapes and numbers on them. There was a 7 of clubs, a 4 of diamonds, a 9 of hearts, a 3 of clubs, and a 10 of spades. A man with a diamond tipped scepter stood in the corner talking to a short and meek looking man dressed all in black, armed with a short sword. In the middle of it all sat Jesse, by himself, watching everyone else.

The cat-like man peered over at Horatio and Rick through the black slits in his yellow eyes. He stood up on his chair and swiftly made his way over to them, walking on the furniture and not once touching the floor.

"You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat," he said to Horatio.

"You don't think I haven't figured that out?" the white haired man said a little curtly.

"I'm just saying," he shrugged, "your well is running pretty dry".

Horatio leaned in and hissed softly, "and what do you suppose would happen to you if you stop speaking in riddles?"

"Didn't your eyes used to be brown?" Rick piped up, examining Jesse.

"An eye for an eye, I guess," Jesse sighed, curling his tail around to his front to he could play with the fur, "Horatio knows, doesn't he?"

"Hold your tongue, cat," the white haired man said shortly, "I'm trying to hold everything together. I don't want Eric ending up like you. Compared to _you_, everyone is fine".

"The man in the spotlight is surrounded by darkness," he smirked, continuing to play with the fur.

"But is not alone," Horatio growled as he began to lead Rick deeper into the room and away from Jesse. "And quit playing with that thing. You'll go blind".

Annoyed, the younger man let his tail swing back out behind him as he watched Horatio and Rick walk away. He grumbled angrily as he lightly tread on the furniture and back to his post.

***

"How are you holding up?" Horatio asked as he and Rick approached Eric and Ryan.

"He's nervous," Ryan sighed, his hand resting on the hatter's shoulder.

Eric was nervously tapping on the jury box with his fingertips, too tense to even try to speak. He barely reacted to the little squeeze the March Hare gave him, taking a few seconds before he reached up and gently placed the hand over Ryan's.

"I don't know what will happen if she finds me guilty," he said softly, "Although, killing time is probably punishable by death".

"Or she'll let you off with a warning".

Eric, Horatio, and Rick all stared at Ryan, who had made the suggestion.

"Well… we can hope".

The pain in Ryan's expression was enough to make anyone's heart break. His big hazel puppy eyes were trying to take in as much of Eric as they could. For all he knew, this could be the last hour he would ever see him alive… or at all.

"Can we have a moment?" Ryan asked Horatio, giving Eric a gentle tug.

"Only one," the white haired man nodded, sadly watching Ryan try to hold himself together.

"Please, Eric," the two older men heard him whisper as he led the now quiet man into a secluded corner, "I can't lose you. We've already lost Speed…"

Rick nervously turned to Horatio, "What will happen to him?"

"She wouldn't kill him," he whispered low to the brunette, leaning against the jury box, "she can't really bring herself to kill anyone here, there are so few inhabitants. She might clear his memory, change his shape and set him lose. She might just keep him locked away. Or she might put him to sleep, like she did with Speed. She never cared much for Eric, it's why he's still human but no longer sane. But then, nobody really is here, and the ones who are can't speak".

"You don't seem that mad".

"You just think that because you're trying to rationalize everything. The closest ones to sanity here are Calleigh, Jesse, and myself. And my memory keeps me pretty far off".

"Jesse? But he's -"

"- Stark raving sane. He just can't talk".

Rick quickly stole a glance over at the man in question. He was busy cleaning his ears with a claw-like hand. Perched on one of the tables, he had a pretty good view of most of the court room. Rick turned his complete attention back to Horatio once yellow eyes met his.

"Poor Ryan," the brunette murmured, hearing scraps of the younger rabbit's conversation, "I can't imagine what he's going through".

"He's been trying to hold everything together since Speed fell asleep. Eric just kind of snapped and… well… did what we're here today for. And," he pulled a pocket watch out of his jacket, checking the time, "we have a few more minutes before the trial has to begin".

"Horatio?"

"Hmm?"

Rick lightly put his hand over his lover's, guiding him to the opposite side of the jury box that Eric and Ryan were on. He shoved the white haired man into the corner before swooping down and kissing him roughly. Horatio gasped and tried to push away for an instant before he realized that they were in a dark and secluded corner of the chamber. Their lips stayed locked until they couldn't stand to be without air for any longer.

"You'd better be careful," Horatio said softly, catching his breath, "Or you'd be on trial next for stealing a kiss and taking my breath".

"Aww".

"I'm serious".

Rick watched as Horatio straightened himself out, making sure that his clothes and hair weren't too ruffled. Maybe he was serious.

"I'm sorry," the brunette quickly apologized.

"It's okay. You didn't know".

"If you don't want me to kiss you-"

"-I never said that".

Horatio smiled warmly and he slipped a hand to clasp onto the back of his lover's neck, pulling Rick down into a soft kiss. When their lips met, Horatio could feel his heart beat so fast that it almost felt like a hum. Rick pulled him close, cuddling him into the corner again; the shadows of the jury box hiding them from the world… almost.

Jesse curled his tail around to his front again, watching through black slits in yellow eyes as the two lovers kissed and embraced. _So that's what's happened to the rabbit_, he thought as he impulsively began grooming himself. _I thought that he would be more prudent with this; he knows that Rick's not his. But that doesn't matter much anymore, does it? Damnit. How many times do I have to tell that man not to fall in love? And out of all people… this is going to be the death of him. Oh well. Not much I can do about it; he's in love and there's no reversing something like that. But… not like the Queen's about to accept that._

He watched curiously as the two men ran their hands down each other's backs, kissing deeply again.

_It's almost painfully obvious why your eyes are white, Horatio. There are only three of us who can understand what's happening, and you're one of them. And you just keep going and going with him, aren't you? Given, she has never cut off a head yet, but there's a first time for everything. _

"I have to start this show," the white haired man said gently, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of white gloves, "take a seat next to Speed in the jury box".

Horatio grabbed Rick by his tie, pulling him down into a kiss once more. It was quick, but the brown eyed man felt so much love be put into it. When it ended, he refused to get down from cloud nine. He just sort of drifted over to his position in the jury box.

"Gorgeous, isn't he?" Rick whispered to the sleeping man.

"Red and black," Speed muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Red and black. Revolution".

Rick blinked, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about".

He looked over to see Ryan and Eric still nervously talking in the corner, occasional kisses being exchanged. But before he could think too long on that, Speed spoke again.

"Revolution. Red and Black".

"What?"

"Revolution".

Speed lazily reached down into a pocket on the side of the jury box, pulling a slate and a piece of chalk out of it. Without looking at it he scrawled the word REVOLUTION, except the E and L were reversed. Head heavy and eyes unable to stay anywhere near open for any longer, the man with the mouse-like ears swung his arm out, awkwardly handing Rick the tablet.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Speed was already asleep, snoring softly as his tail curled around him. Rick looked down at the slate again, the word staring back at him. He lightly balanced it on the younger man's knee as he watched Horatio get up onto a pedestal on the other end of the room. Ryan led his partner over to two armed men, who took either wrist in one hand, the other holding a pike. The brown haired rabbit walked over to the first of several pew-like rows of seats, wringing his hands and murmuring to himself. Jesse gently stepped off the table he was sitting on, tiptoeing over to the jury box and sitting behind Speed. The men with numbers on them, wearing the white or black robes, and the men with the scepters joined them.

"I'll help you to help yourself," was whispered into Rick's ear, making him jump.

He turned around to see Jesse settling back into his chair, a grin spread across his lips. Rick would have asked him what he meant by that, but he knew that he would just be answered in another question. He didn't have any time anyways, the hall had fallen silent. All eyes fell on Horatio as he lifted a trumpet to his lips, the notes cutting through the still air and reverberating up to the rafters.

"Presenting her royal Highness," he announced, his voice chasing after the notes that still rung in the hall, "The Queen of Hearts".

Rick watched as the large doors he walked through swung open fully, letting in the red and white light from the adjacent chamber's stained glass windows. At first there was nothing, nobody. But then he heard it. Footfalls. Heels. Walking with click after click against the marble floor. A large red, white, and black dress swung in. The shoulders of it were large and standing proudly in ball-like bunches. The sleeves were tight, running down the length of her arms and ending in a point over the back of her hands. Wrapped around her middle was a red and white corset, its bones giving her an elegant shape. It swung up at her neckline into a collar that swept up so high that it blocked off her face. Her hair was brown and piled high on top of her head, a tiara perched upon it. Behind her was a cape that dragged a good two feet out behind her, it had shapes of a deck of cards running down it on white strips.

Everyone's eyes were on her as she walked up to the judge's stand. Horatio walked up to her, handing her a golden scepter with a deep red heart mounted on top of it. Without really acknowledging him, she kept walking, scepter now in hand. Slowly she turned around as she approached her place, turning to face the jury. The face of Natalia Boa Vista.


	11. The Trial

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Eleven: The Trial**

"This trial shall now come to order," Horatio announced, setting the trumpet down, "our Queen of Hearts presiding".

"Thank you, Horatio," she cooed with a smile as the white haired man sat down. "Mr. Delko, you have been charged with 'killing time'. How do you plead?"

The jury turned to look over at Eric, still being held between the two guards. His head hung, Eric muttered something under his breath. One of the guards gave him a rough shake.

"Louder," he growled, "so that your Queen can hear you clearly".

Eric took a shaky breath before raising his head, meeting her gaze. "Guilty".

Every man in the jury except for Jesse (who knew better), Rick (who was confused), and Speedle (who was sleeping) grabbed their respective slates and chalk out of the pockets of the jury box. Rick watched as the man sitting next to him, with the 3 of Clubs on his robes, scribbled the word "guilty" on his slate. That's what they all seemed to be doing. Some were asking each other how to spell it.

He looked over at the first row of pews where Ryan was sitting, joined by a man in a large pope-like hat and Alexx; the latter of the two was knitting a large white scarf, some of which was already wrapped around her. Ryan, meanwhile, was looking incredibly melancholy; wringing his hands and muttering to himself.

"The accused has pled guilty!" Natalia announced, "bring forth the first witness".

"But he pled guilty," Rick blurted out, thankfully not too loudly.

"Shh," the 3 of Clubs hissed at him.

Rick felt a claw-like hand on his shoulder and heard the familiar click of chalk on slate. A tablet was handed to him.

_Unlike the systems I hear you are familiar with, here the accused is guilty until proven innocent. Horatio doesn't agree with this system, but he's in the minority. Trials here are to more prove or disprove innocent. _

_Eric has already pled guilty. So now we see just how not-innocent he is._

"Oh," Rick whispered softly before handing the tablet back to Jesse.

The man with the large hat stepped onto the witness stand next to the Queen.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," he declared, spurring on the less competent jurors to scribble "yesterday" down on their tablets. "It was her Majesty's birthday and-"

He was cut short by a sharp strike to the head by Natalia's scepter, knocking off his hat.

"Sorry," he muttered, rubbing the knot on his head, "I was at her Royal Highness, her Honor, The Queen of Heart's birthday celebration". He nervously gave a little glance up at her, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as she nodded contentedly. "Where I saw with my own two eyes and heard with my own two hears the man in front of you," he paused to point at Eric, "begin SINGING!"

There was much ado that swarmed about the jury, Rick listening to it in confusion.

"And why was he singing?!" the witness asked the jurors.

"Why?"

"Tell us!"

"Why was the hatter singing?"

Rick looked around at the fellow members of the jury, shouting their responses like brainless morons. It made him want to roll his eyes, but at the same time he wanted to join in. Some of them were staring at him because he wasn't hollering at the witness. Instead he just looked over at Ryan, who was sinking lower and lower into his seat.

The witness smiled contentedly at the overall reaction to his question. "I'll tell you why!" He cried out, waving his arms around, like he should be praised for answering a simple question. His declaration was followed by applause and a few cheers. "The hatter you see before you was getting BORED with the party!"

There were a series of gasps coming from the jurors. The Queen looked down at Eric and scoffed.

"So he decided," the witness continued, "to KILL some TIME!"

There was a roar of commotion and furious scribbling of this phrase down onto black slates. Rick looked over. He would have sworn that he saw the man next to him move. But that was an illusion; he remained fast asleep with the word REVOLUTION scrawled on his slate, the E and the L reversed. It was a curiosity to say the most, why he would write what he did…

"Your honor, that is all I have to say," he nodded.

_Wait_, Rick frowned, _Isn't anyone going to cross examine him? He only said two sentences and waved his arms around. That doesn't count as a testimony. In fact, that was pretty ridiculous now that I think about it. Isn't anyone going to say something? I think it would pretty rude of me to point out, I'm just a guest here. Hey… why am I in the jury here anyways?_

The witness donned his hat again before strutting back to the pew Ryan sat on. The Queen nodded, pleased with his testimony. She took a moment for the jurors to scribble nonsense down onto their sat there, looking around and figuring that he should probably be using his slate too. He picked up the chalk and began sketching a portrait of the white rabbit sitting across the hall from him. Although his hair and eyes were white, he was still quite easy on the eyes.

"The White Queen may approach the stand," Natalia announced.

Alexx stood up, wrapping the knitted shawl around her, but refusing to put down her work. She perched her ball of wool on her shoulder, her hands still quite busy clicking the needles together as she continued to knit. She walked slowly, managing to make it to the witness stand without dropping the wool. She plopped down in the wooden chair, the ball falling into her lap and her dark eyes entranced by her own movements.

The Queen of Hearts waited for a moment, listening for her to speak. The moment, however, seemed to be taking too long. "Mada-"

"-_I _remember it like it was this morning!" she declared.

There were soft gasps coming from the jury, who began scribbling her words down onto their slates. Rick gave her a little glance, indicating that he had been paying attention; he then promptly returned to sketching the older man.

"It was the Her Royal Majesty's birthday," she sighed, leaning back in her chair and knitting a little faster, "she Queen was in the playroom, painting pictures for the children's holiday".

"Children? Where were they?" Rick couldn't help but to blurt out. He was quickly punished by Jesse by a claw digging into his shoulder.

The white queen sighed, "nowhere. It was for a lark".

"Is that very clear to you, sir?" a juror snarled at Rick.

The brunette ducked down into his chair, holding his picture close to his chest and wishing he could just disappear with it for a little while. He nodded at the angry eyes, then pretending to pay very close attention to the White Queen.

"Good," she nodded, not seeming to be very upset with explaining herself to Rick. "I, meanwhile, was in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the tarts she was baking. At 6:00 (I remember it well) I heard this peculiar sound coming from the parlor. I followed the sound and saw the man standing before you looking over the Queen's cake. And I heard him, I heard him killing time".

Gasps.

"And it was premeditated, the song was memorized".

More gasps.

"And it was with malice".

Even more gasps with various mumbles and "tsk"s coming from the jury. Rick looked up to see Eric shift nervously between the guards, the brim of his hat falling down over his eyes. He struggled to motion to the guards that he needed some assistance, but they just roughly nudged him; an order for him to stop wiggling around. Stuck with the hat covering his eyes, Eric just sighed and stood there in the dark.

"And what did you do when you heard this murder?" the Queen asked, eyeing up the White Queen as if to establish a superiority over her.

"I was chilled to the b-b-bone. I had never witnessed a murder b-b-before".

Rick looked around. Was he the only one who caught her stutter? Nobody else seemed to react to it. He knew that he didn't know this version of Alexx very well… or the usual version of Alexx very well. But he felt in his gut that a stutter would be uncharacteristic of her. She also seemed to be knitting a lot faster than she originally was. The clicking was coming so fast that it sounded like chattering teeth. The shawl the needles were attached to was growing at an alarming rate.

"It was unb-b-b-bearab-b-b-ble".

It was getting worse. Rick watched her wrap herself in the white shawl.

"I couldn't b-b-b-b-b-believe that monster he had b-b-b-b-be-bec-be-ba-ba-baaaaaaa".

She had Rick's undivided attention as she bleated loudly, sounding just like a sheep. The shawl stopped looking like a shawl and more like a coat… a fleece. Her eyes became beady and her mouth pushed out into a muzzle. The needles dropped to the floor as her hands turned as black as coal and hardened into hooves. But by far the most surprising aspect of this transformation was that Rick was apparently the only one who was really astonished at the sight. Part of him was happy that he didn't jump out of his chair and overreact to the sight; that would have been embarrassing to everyone. But most of him wanted everyone to be equally astonished and jump out of their chairs with enough energy to possibly hurt themselves.

"'became'. Gotcha," the queen nodded.

"Baa".

"You may return to your seat, your Highness," Natalia added, as she relaxed into her chair again.

"Baa".

Alexx hopped off the stand, trotting on all fours over to the pew she was seated at before. Ryan gave a little nod to her as she joined him, but he obviously felt betrayed. He began wringing his hands again, looking over at Eric, then over at Speed.

_How easy it would be_, Ryan thought, _to just get up and start walking in the opposite direction. How easy it would have been last night to just slip out of his arms and get out of there before things got out of hand… out of my control. I remember when Eric first offered for me to join him and Speed. And even now, I can't remember if I said "yes" because I wanted it, or because I didn't want to end up alone. I might have just been afraid, with the new regime coming in. He convinced me that I had nothing to worry about with this one, that the old war was over and we'd be able to settle down together. He was right, but the war ended before she took power, and she couldn't care less about the social aspects of our situation. I should have started running once Speed was captured for bordering on anarchist… but I couldn't just leave Eric; he was so scared. I had never seen anyone so terrified for anyone else. _

_But that was then… now it's Eric who's about to be captured. The same thing she did to Speed would probably be done to him. Then they both could be comatose. I could just take them home, lie them down next to one another, then I'll leave them. I'll tell Horatio to feed them. I need to get out of here. I should save myself while I still can._

"Ryan?" the Queen called, "please approach the stand".

He nodded politely, standing up and slowly walking to his appropriate position.

_Do it_, a voice within him urged.

He turned, looking at the large wooden doors that led out into the castle. He was a good sprint away from freedom. There is nothing in the plan that would make the Queen pursue him. He could actually get away with it.

His eyes fell on Eric, hidden under the green top hat, which was about three sizes too big. Sighing, he held up a hand to the Queen, motioning to her that he needed a moment. Not paying attention to her disapproving glance, he approached Eric, reaching out and gently lifting the hat off his face.

His heart nearly broke when he looked into those large deep brown pools that were his eyes. The hatter looked so boyish and innocent, giving Ryan the same eyes he did when he asked him to join him and Speed. Ryan could feel his eyes water slightly, he had to bite down hard on his tongue to keep from bursting into tears.

"Ryan?" he whispered.

The brown haired rabbit tried to control his emotions as he spoke. "You'll be alright".

"You don't need to lie to me, sweetheart".

He pursed his lips, trying not to let his voice crack. "I wanted to".

Eric sighed peacefully, letting Ryan pull him down slightly to meet their foreheads together. "We're in this together, right? Always. You, me, and Speed?"

Ryan felt his stomach knot and his breath catch. He knew that Eric couldn't have known what was going through his mind… but maybe he did. He cursed himself for even thinking about leaving him like this. Nervously, he took Eric's face in his hands, pressing lips to lips.

"I love you, you know that?" he whispered, breaking away.

Eric nodded slightly, making the hat fall back over his eyes. There was a soft laugh before Ryan fixed it again. "I love you too".

"If you're done getting your stories straight, would you please approach the bench, sir?" the Queen of Hearts snapped.

Ryan gave the older man one last look before turning around and making the rest of the way to the witness stand. "I'm sorry about that," he whispered to her.

"I don't care".

He sat down. "Do you want me to tell you my story now?"

"Yes. Quickly".

"Alright," he sighed deeply, "Eric and I were-"

"How do you remember it as?"

"What? Oh. I remember it like it was yesterday, too".

There were murmurs through the jury, as his words were scribbled down.

"Eric and I were waiting in the parlor, waiting for the cake to be served. He told me that there was a song that he had always wanted to sing to me-"

"-To kill time?!" the Queen snapped.

"No! To just sing to me. To be sweet".

"What did he sing?"

Rick ducked down in his chair, hardly able to believe that he just blurted out again. The claw once more dug into his shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine. His eyes met with Horatio's, the older man obviously a little concerned about this behavior. Ryan, however, seemed to be quite happy that the question was asked.

"It was 'Where Time Stands Still', by Mar-"

"-A song SPECIFICALLY designed for killing time!" the Queen shouted, standing up.

"That's not true!" Ryan shouted back at her.

There was a gasp that washed over the jury, some people scratching the phrase "not true" down onto their tablets.

"It's beautiful!" Ryan growled, "I'll sing it".

"You will do no such thing!"

"I will!"

"If you do, it will be the last sound to come out of you!"

Ryan glared at her, but held his tongue. He was bold, but he knew that Eric and Speed depended on him to be their voice. A little ashamed by this halt, he sank back into his chair, looking down at the floor.

"That's what I thought," she growled. She stood up and addressed the court, "how many times do I have to tell you that there is NEVER to be ANY music of ANY time in MY kingdom?!"

Rick's head shot up at her. This was news. He didn't realize it until now, but the only music he had heard the past few days was whatever was stuck in his head. He must have been so concerned about getting home and Horatio that he didn't notice it… although how this went right over his head, he'll never know.

"If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times!" she shouted, mostly at Ryan and Eric, "music does NOTHING but fill the head with nonsense and give you false hope. It is nothing more than an elaborate waste of time!"

Rick wanted more than anything than to get up and tell her off, but he knew that he couldn't. Given the claws digging into his shoulder and he worried look Horatio was giving him, he had to stay silent. But this wasn't enough. He felt sick hearing her speak. Music had always been there for him, and now he wasn't strong enough to return the favor.

"It is a drug, an addiction that is painful to my ears. It does nothing but tear people apart. Haven't I told you about all the wars that were started over music?! This world is better without it!"

The cheers that rang out around him made Rick grit his teeth in anger as his eyes began to water. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

"It is the primitive chattering of the savages! In our society, music is obsolete!"

"_If you believe in forever_," Eric started to sing softly.

The Queen cringed, slamming her scepter down on the bench. "Silence!"

"_Then life is just a one night stand_".

"Gentlemen of the jury, cover your ears! This is the-"

"_If there's a rock and roll heaven"._

"SHUTUP!"

"_Well, you know they got a hell of a band"._

"GUARDS!!"

Eric gasped as a hand flew to cover his mouth, his hat falling back down over his eyes. The guard pulled him close, keeping his lips covered as he was pinned still. All the energy the guards were previously using to keep him still went to keeping him silent. Rick watched as the younger man struggled against the grip, knowing that it would have been noble for it to be him instead. Ryan's hand covered his own mouth, trying to hide his look of shock and terror.

"You have no right," the Queen growled, "to make such a spectacle in a court of law!"

Eric struggled to speak. He knew he was in deep enough. Now he could say whatever he wanted… if only they would let go.

Rick tried to tear himself from the scene, looking at Horatio; only to see him still pained and captivated by it. So the brunette looked up at the window over the white haired man, just in time to see Valera lift a little gold box to the sill outside.


	12. Overthrow

Thank you for the review, Wolfsong98 (LiveJournal)

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or anything like that. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

**Chapter Twelve: Overthrow**

Rick was so focused on the scene unfolding outside the window that he didn't even have any time to be thankful for the fact that the Queen wasn't paying attention to him. She was too wrapped up in yelling at Eric to notice that Rick was staring up at the window. Horatio wanted desperately to follow Rick's gaze to the window above his own head. But he knew that if he did, he would draw too much attention to it.

Valera flitted up to the side of the window, pulling on a lever and placing all her weight on it; only able to crack the window slightly. She wedged herself between the frame and the window, shoving as hard as she could against it, grunting with the exertion. The gold box was quickly pulled in after her; she quickly drew in a breath through her teeth as she scraped her arm.

Rick pretended not to pay attention as she pulled the golden box open, but it was hard to turn his eyes away as she ducked into the container. She looked like she had fallen completely inside, only her legs sticking out. It took a couple seconds of frantic scrambling around before she finally emerged, a small vorpal sword in hand. It may be small, but on her it looked about the size of a broadsword.

The weapon dragging her down, Valera attempted to take flight, only to drop like a stone. She tumbled off the sill, almost hitting the floor with enough force to break every bone in her body, but she was smart enough to drop the sword before that happened, catching herself on a draft and landing safely. The weapon made a sound that was only audible if you were really listening for it; the Queen was too busy shouting to hear, and Valera was too far in her peripheral to see.

Judging on her quiet entrance and her now mad dash to behind the folds of a long curtain next to the window, the last thing she wanted was to be discovered. Rick knew that he might blow her cover if he kept staring at her, but he was far too curious to want to turn away. Besides, he didn't want to go back to listening to the Queen rant about her deformed views of music.

After judging that she was in the clear, Valera slipped out from behind the velvet drapes. Although she had long waited to turn into something with wings, she cursed the silver skin that came with it. If she could have been less conspicuous… oh well… no matter now. She had a mission that she swore she would complete… no matter what it meant for her. This was no time to be selfish… in fact… it was a pretty good time to be nearly suicidal.

"And the NERVE to SING in a high court," the Queen shouted, leaning so far over on her stand that she was nearly falling off.

Ryan had turned his face away, occasionally pressing his thumb into the corner of his eye, trying to suppress his tears. Although, to Rick, his expression was as plain as day. It seemed to him that everyone in this world was constantly carrying with them an incredible pain, a type of oppression that Rick simply couldn't imagine. He tried to control his emotions, but his hazel eyes gave him away. In a small glance, Rick knew that the other man was feeling his soul be ripped to pieces… unable to do anything to stop it.

Stetler looked down as he felt something brush against his knee. Speed had brushed the slate over to Rick, unable to move much. A tear slowly ran down the younger man's scruffy cheek, dropping down onto his chest. Rick looked down at the tablet, it still read REVOLUTION with the two reversed letters.

"I see it," he whispered to Speed, who was furiously pointing at the word.

Grumbling, the younger man let his arm drop to his side. Rick blushed slightly, embarrassed that he obviously didn't understand what Speed was trying to say. If Eric or Ryan were a little closer, they might be able to interpret… but now was hardly the time for that. And Horatio wasn't able to-

"-You should ask Calleigh," Jesse whispered, interrupting Rick's thoughts.

"Calleigh's not here," Rick hissed back.

"The white knight would know," he somewhat repeated himself.

"Yes, I caught that".

Jesse couldn't help but to smirk at Rick's confusion. But he did wish that he was able to actually communicate with the older man. Only Horatio can really understand him, but even he took a while at first.

Valera snuck out from behind the curtain, reaching over to retrieve the sword from the floor. It was still incredibly heavy and she knew that it put a damper on the stealth she wished to have. Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

She flew crookedly, hunched over and low to the ground. Flying with the weight of the sword would be more difficult than she thought. No matter. This trial sounded like it would go on for a while yet, she had plenty of time to get to where she wanted to be. The weight actually could work to her advantage, it could save her a lot of time if it could build up the momentum she imagined it could. Although, she still only had one shot to get this right.

Rick had to eventually take his eyes off her charade as she disappeared behind the bench the Queen sat upon.

"From the way things are going," Natalia announced, "it seems that we are in the need of a public execution".

"No! Please!"

She stared down at the brunette rabbit-eared man, who had jumped up from his seat and placed his hands on the edge of her stand.

"Your majesty please," Ryan pleaded, "let me explain. He didn't know he was hurting anyone. He's not well. He hasn't been at all well ever since Speed fell asleep. The experience has been downright traumatic for him".

"How many times to I have to remind you people of the rules of this kingdom?"

"It will never happen again, I swear!"

"He shall be beheaded at dawn, followed by a game of croquet".

"NO!"

"It is my command".

"You BITCH!"

Gasps and then silence. Ryan sank back down into his chair. He knew better than to lose it now; not when Speed and Eric needed him as much as they did. He just wanted to disappear.

"You too, hare," she growled, "your fate will be similar".

"Your Majesty?"

She turned towards Horatio, who had spoken for the first time since she had entered the hall.

"Yes, rabbit?"

The white haired man stepped off his perch, his white shoes tapping softly on the grey stones he walked across. He looked up at Natalia, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Your Majesty," he repeated gently, "I mean you no disrespect, but do you think that's wise?"

"Do you question my judgment?"

"He didn't know what he was saying; he spoke to defend his friend. It was noble… although it was ultimately offensive".

She thought on this for a moment, "you make a valid argument, Horatio. Ryan shall live".

"Thank you".

"Let him have the best place to view the execution!"

"No!" Horatio gasped, only to quickly choke on his own words, "I mean… that's not exactly what I meant, your Highness".

"Then what did you mean?"

"I simply meant to say that-"

"-bow for me".

Horatio's eyes quit wandering around the floor to look up at her. It was an odd timing for such a request, but with the mood she was in, he wasn't about to simply not grant it. He bowed his head respectfully before continuing.

"Your Majesty, I think that-"

"-Lower".

He placed a hand behind his back as he bent forward about 90 degrees, his hair falling in front of his face.

"I think that such actions-"

"-Lower".

He fell onto bended knee, one hand resting on the stone floor.

"Such actions could be seen as-"

"-Lower".

Horatio discreetly sighed as both knees touched the floor, his hands folded on top of one another in front of him.

"Could be seen as imprudent, as-"

"-Lower".

He sat back on his heels and put his hands out on the floor in front of him, leaning forward.

"Imprudent, as the psychological-"

"-Lower".

Sighing, he leaned forward a little more, his hands gliding across the floor until his forehead lightly brushed against the stone. His backside lifted off his feet as he gave himself precious room to breathe in the asphyxiating position.

"The psychological ramifications of such –is this okay?"

"Perfect," Natalia smirked, leaning back, "continue".

"The psychological ramifications of such a traumatic experience such as seeing your best friend beheaded will leave Ryan as comatose as Speedle. I suggest simply imprisoning Eric and leaving Ryan to bring Speed back into reality. That way you'll have two functioning members of society while still making an example of Eric".

"And then everybody's happy, right Horatio?"

"It's just a suggestion".

"A suggestion that goes against my ruling! Isn't that right, ladies and gentlemen of the jury?"

Rick sunk into his seat as he heard affirmative murmurs make their way around the jury box.

"And furthermore," she growled, "I specifically –Aaah!"

Everyone watched as she slumped forward, a hand clutching at the back of her head. It took a moment to see what had happened. Valera, who had made it up to the back of the Queen's chair, had cut open the back of her collar. However, the amount of blood suggested that more than that happened. Whatever happened, Rick couldn't see where the sword was.

The Queen reached back with a bloody hand and snatched Valera off the back of the throne. The next thing Rick saw was a silver and red blur travel from Natalia's hand to the floor next to Horatio.

"Valera?" he whispered, sitting up and taking her in his hands, "but how is she…"

"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME?!" the Queen screeched, although not in the voice Rick remembered her having.

Ryan jumped to his feet, running over to and shooing the hands off of Eric as the judge and witness stands started filling with blood. Horatio looked down at the young woman in his hands; she wasn't moving… or breathing. He stood up, rushing to the window and grabbing the gold box, now useful as nothing more than a coffin. Gently, he lay her body inside and shoved the box under his seat.

"Usurper!" the Queen growled, running a hand over her face. As she did, skin, like plaster and paint from an old ceiling, began falling onto the floor. Beneath it, a new face began to emerge.

Horatio watched as the Queen rose from her seat. "Your Majesty! Please! She's already dead!"

Growling, she pulled at the scepter, revealing a sword and discarding the sheath. "Where do your loyalties lie, Horatio? Give me the body".

"What are you going to do to her?"

"Give me the body!"

"Tell me!"

A glint of steel shone through the chamber, followed by a flash of red and a helpless cry. Horatio had fallen to the floor, choking on his sobs as he clasped his hand over the severed tip of one of his ears. Rick could taste the bile rise to the back of his throat as he looked down at the floor to see a white tuft of fur, sitting and stained in blood.

The Queen knelt down and picked up the box, opening it and taking out Valera. "You're nothing more than an insect, you always have been".

She walked over to the window, pulling it the rest of the way open. Horatio struggled to find the breath to tell her to stop, but he couldn't. Valera's lifeless body was thrown out the window. The Queen shut and locked it again before walking over and yanking Horatio onto his feet.

"I expected better from you," she hissed to him before addressing the guards holding Eric and Ryan, "In light of recent events, the rabbit's decision has been overruled. Eric is to be executed and… Ryan is to be holding the ax".

"No!" Ryan cried, "You can't make me kill him!"

"I can and will! You're why he was singing, anyways. It's YOUR fault! Your fates have been decided. Court is adjourned".

Rick watched, mouth agape as members of the jury stood and filed out of the court room. Jesse picked up the tablet and helped Speed to his feet, leading him out and propping the slate onto one of the pews. Rick was left sitting there, looking at Horatio for a cue and not receiving one. The blood dripping from his ear was far too much of a distraction for both of them. The guards escorted Ryan and Eric out of the room, the whole scenario leaving a bitter taste in Rick's mouth.

"Stay here, Rick Stetler," the Queen ordered, still not facing him as her eyes followed the two convicted men, "I need to talk to you. You may leave us now, Horatio".

"With all due respect, your Highness," he said softly, trying not to agitate her any more than he already had, "I am required to be here for this; that is by your own ruling".

"Very well".

Rick wasn't paying attention when the Queen turned around. He was watching Horatio take a handkerchief out of his pocket and tie it over the severed tip of his ear. The white haired man nodded Rick back towards the Queen.

The brown eyed man blinked as he realized what the skin flaking off of Natalia was revealing. The harsh angles of another face became very clear to him.

"Yelina?"

"Rick," she nodded, "You probably have many questions".

He was tempted to look back at Horatio for a moment, but decided that it was best if he shouldn't. "I do".

"Like why you are here".

"I don't even know where I am".

"Because that is unnecessary. The point is that I have observed you and have decided that you would be most useful here".

"But what for? And where is 'here'?"

Horatio stood up, approaching the Queen with his head bowed slightly.

"Are you sure you want this to be done now, your highness? He's a little shaken after what he has just seen, none of this would be considered to be normal in his world".

"Do you honestly believe that you are in any position to question me?"

"I'm just saying," he pressed, "I'm not sure that he would be able to make an informed decision as of this moment".

"And what are you going to do? _Educate_ him some more?"

The innuendo bit at him, reminding him of the punishment he had already endured for such a lapse in judgment. The delay the Queen was going through was really putting her on edge, more than usual. The trial did nothing but reiterate her frustrations.

"I just want to save you from doing something you may regret. His kind aren't used to moving so quickly".

"You should focus on saving yourself. If this turns out as planned, you won't be as useful to me as you are now. And you know what I think of dispensable citizens".

"I can always lend a hand around here, your Majesty".

"With what? You're too old for heavy lifting and don't have the stamina to tend the gardens. The only thing you're good for is a butler, and don't believe for a second that I'll let you tend to the master's chamber".

"I understand, but-"

"-Get used to your expendability, Horatio".

The white haired man took a little step back. It was made quite clear to him that Yelina would rather be alone with Rick. But he knew that what would happen to him if the legitimacy of the events about to unfold was questioned; it would be far worse than what she was merely threatening to do now.

"Look at him, your Highness," he whispered.

She turned to see him. Rick wanted to run, but he was practically frozen with fear. His eyes wandered to the point on the floor where the young fairy met her demise. From there he looked down a few feet away from him, seeing a darkening drop of his lover's blood settle into the stone. Every word of the trial echoed in his mind. If he were a braver man, he would have scooped Horatio up into his arms and ran away with him. But this… this made his skin turn cold and heart pound in his ears.

_This has to be a dream… it just has to._

"He should calm down as soon as I tell him why he's here".

"Your Majesty," Horatio pleaded "I'm really not-"

"Enough from you".

With a wave of her hand a sharp sting came to the rabbit's throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a wisp of air was able to pass his lips. The more he tried, the drier his throat felt, like it was being scraped with coarse sandpaper with every word he tried to speak.

He wanted to yell. He wanted to strike her. He wanted to grab his lover's arm and pull him out the chambers with him. But all he could do was obediently bow his head to the Queen… the Queen who had already taken so much from him already.

"My dear, Rick," she cooed suddenly, almost making the brunette jump out of his skin, "I have a confession".

Rick said nothing, but cocked his head to the side. She read it as him wanting to hear more, and he did; but what he really wanted was to look around her to see that the older man's ear had stopped bleeding.

"I have brought you to this world because I have seen you fit for one specific position here, something that I have been looking to fill for a long time".

He noticed Horatio wince and cringe at what he knew was about to come. "What is that, your Majesty".

"Rick," she smiled as gently as she could muster, "you have been brought here to become our king".


	13. Through the Looking Glass

I'm back, don't expect much more of this series for a while. Don't worry, it's still being worked on... just moved to the back burner. Just... no more weekly updates.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Through the Looking Glass**

_King?_ The brunette thought as he slowly backed away from the scene. He couldn't ask why; nobody ever answered that proposition with "why?", and for good reason. "Why?" in this scenario would be as good as a "no"… or as bad as a "no"… either way, it wouldn't get anyone off on the right foot.

In Rick's defense, the whole situation wasn't exactly in his hands. The Queen of Hearts held all the cards and it was far too late for Rick to try to get out of the game. He had already seen what happens when the Queen doesn't get her way, between Eric and Horatio it was pretty obvious. You don't do anything to irritate someone like her.

_Christ_, he thought, _she's as bad as the Yelina in my world. I bet she's just as much of a bigot too. She would pull this shit on me. Probably just wants to make Horatio jealous again. I already lived through this, why do I have to go through it again? It's like her entire purpose in life is to make MY life a living hell. Well… if it was, she is doing a crackerjack job of fulfilling her purpose._

"King?" he finally echoed, deciding that it would be best if he just pretended that he didn't quite hear.

"Yes, this world has been long in need for a new king. You have all the desirable traits someone of such a status would have. In fact, once I decided to expand my search into your realm, you made the decision quite simple. All I had to do was lead you over here, and thanks to that worthless library and Horatio, it wasn't that hard".

Rick watched the white haired man back up a little bit. Horatio had no idea how to reflect on this. He felt that he should feel guilty, but he didn't. Ordering himself to feel remorse for Rick's sake just wasn't working. What had happened between them… those moments they shared and he sacrificed for… they seemed to outweigh the inevitable challenges their relationship would face. He didn't want to imagine how things would be if he had never loved at all.

"I… I don't know," the brown eyed man stuttered, "I only just got here. I'm not sure how this world works".

"You won't have too much of a responsibility right away, I'll start you out as more of a figurehead. After a few months we'll start you on the heavier legislation, control of trials, foreign relations, the more intense work. You'll have plenty of time to get used to your new post. The transition will be so smooth that the people won't even notice it until the formal coronation".

"The _formal_ coronation?"

"Why yes… but to solidify your position right away, we would have to perform a minor private coronation. Not as flashy, but it would make it official".

"And I can't go around saying that I'm king until the formal ceremony".

"Exactly," she smiled, impressed at how well he was able to interpret her wishes, "so… will you, Rick Stetler, become our king?"

The brown eyed man swallowed hard, wishing that something dramatic would happen, something big enough to distract her from the general situation. But, as it did back in the world he knew, nothing happened. So he was forced into a corner, knowing full well what he had to say.

"Your Majesty," he said softly with a slight bow, "I shall be honored".

Horatio bit down on his tongue, he knew that it was the only choice his lover had. It wasn't fair, there were two people in the room who wanted to completely change the kingdom and overthrow the tyrant. They should have been able to overpower her and make it her head to be prepared for the ax instead of Eric's. But she was far too powerful. One flick of her wrist and he could find himself in more pain than he had ever felt in his life. She could hurt Rick. She could kill him, forever burning the image into his memory and saying that it was his fault. He didn't want to think about that kind of pain… that amount of guilt.

Rick's stomach clenched, he knew that he had just walked into a maze that he might never escape from. If it wasn't for Horatio, he would have resisted, he would have tried to run away from the kingdom. But he didn't blame him. In just a few short days, he had the relationship he always wanted, even though they had to keep it a secret.

"Wonderful," the Queen smirked.

Rick and Horatio silently watched her rush to a loose panel on the wall next to the jury box. She pried it open, the hidden compartment long, narrow, and about eight feet tall. A large mirror that just barely fit inside was rolled out, Yelina setting it up in front of the judge's stand, facing out towards the rows of seats and the two men. They watched her return to the hole in the wall and retrieve a small draw-string black bag.

"Rick," she smiled as she handed the bag to Horatio, "the procedure won't take too long. Once it's done you can go back up to your chamber and have the two and three of clubs arrange it how you want it. Horatio will have to stay with me though; there are some important matters of state that I would like to discuss with him. I trust you understand".

"I do, your Majesty," Rick nodded.

"And there's no need for that anymore," she said with a little shake of her head, "You may now call me 'my Queen', just as I shall call you, 'my King'. Given the status our relationship will soon take".

Rick nearly screamed and threw up at the same time as he realized what she was talking about. He had to _marry_ her? Well… that's usually how royalty works, right? But Christ! He should at _least_ be able to have Horatio on the side. After all, other kings had their concubines.

"Marriage?" he asked in clarification.

"Of course, as soon as the royal gardens are in full bloom. We shall we wed by one of the White Queen's bishops".

"But the White Queen-"

"-She'll be fine," Yelina assured him. "And she doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that we go through this private coronation as quickly as possible".

_'As quickly as possible'? _Rick choked in shock before quickly composing himself, "What's the rush?"

She sighed and looked up at the window she threw Valera out of. "Isn't it obvious? This kingdom needs new faces, new order. They aren't the brightest of citizens, so if they see you as king, they will believe that there would be a complete political shift. And they would be partly right".

"My Queen," Rick said, the words leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, "may I ask you to elaborate on that last point?"

"You see, there will be the same laws and standards, but we will operate more swiftly and efficiently. No more of these time-consuming trials and the like, the state knows what's right and who's guilty. We don't need the people partaking in the decisions, you know what they're like, they don't know what they're doing half the time. I haven't made up my mind about public executions yet, we might have more at first, right before you become a figurehead… then none".

"Wait," Rick said, holding up his hands and giving his head a slight shake, "how can you suddenly have more public executions? I heard that you don't execute anyone and that Eric has found himself to be an exception. Given, that's only what I heard, and I don't know if any are in the dungeons-"

"-Eric and Ryan have been the only ones making any sort of holding down there for the longest time".

Rick opened his mouth and immediately shut it upon the realization of what she was implying. He swallowed hard and stole a quick glance at Horatio before speaking.

"You mean… innocents?"

"A few lives now are well worth the price of future order," she shrugged.

The brunette took a small step back, "I… I don't think I can go through with this".

Yelina's eyes flashed. "What?"

"This… this is murder. No… this is more than murder. This is fascism".

"This is MY kingdom," she growled, approaching him and staring him down, "and only _I_ know what's best for it".

Horatio timidly reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, a silent urge to calm down. She swung the back of her hand and struck him across the cheek, the slap echoing in the silent room. The older man's grey and white eyes quickly cast downwards as he bowed his head respectfully. The Queen nearly hit him again when she saw the look of empathy Rick gave her servant.

"My King," she said soothingly, taking a step towards him and trying not to lash out when Rick took a step back. "Progress has always been messy, you can't make an omelet without cracking some eggs, right? This isn't fascism; it's just paving the road to revolution, a revolution that you will lead. The people will love you. Overnight you will be a national hero, never to be forgotten. Would you really rather go back to your old life when your future looks so bright here? This is _your_ revolution".

Rick looked down, she did have a point. He didn't have much going for him back in Miami the more he thought about it. Miami: where Horatio still hated his guts, along with everyone else. And… if this is a hallucination… he might as well be in control of things.

"What…" he whispered, "what do I have to do?"

With a coy little smile, she pulled Rick in front of the mirror and turned him to face his reflection. As much as it scared him at first, he wished that the image would start moving independently again. But he just looked at himself, as scared and lost as ever.

"Now, approach your reflection".

He did so, his heart pounding in his chest. He suddenly felt that he was completely under her control. Lost in the heart of the castle, he was trapped in a room with his lover and an angry, maddening queen. The reflection's eyes began moving independently, taking a moment to wink at Rick.

"Raise your hand to the glass and free him".

Rick turned his head to face Yelina for a second, making sure that he heard her correctly. She nodded, knowing that he would figure it out. Slowly, the brunette put his hand up against the glass, looking into the eyes of the man behind it. The reflection's hand shifted ever so slightly, so that his fingers were between Rick's. Hands entwined, the glass feeling like molasses covered in cellophane against the brown eyed man's sweaty palm. Step by step, they walked together until the reflection was led out of his prison, which rippled at the point his foot was.

Horatio's eyes looked from one to the other, perfect mirrored images of one another. The only distinguishable difference was that Rick had a mole under his right eye and the reflection had one under his left.

"As his reflection, you know him better than he knows himself. You spend your entire life remembering the past and examining the present. It is you who must lead him in the oath".

"Your Majesty, I do not know the oath," the reflection stated blankly as he stared past Rick.

Yelina waved for Horatio, but he wasn't paying attention to her. He was far too busy enjoying the sight of two Ricks standing before him. Two men who absolutely adored him and who he thought were breathtakingly gorgeous.

"Rabbit!"

Horatio jostled himself back into focus, giving her his complete attention.

"The scroll, get it now".

Rick and his reflection watched as Horatio fumbled with the little black bag. The Queen rolled her eyes and stormed over to the white haired man, hissing harsh words at him under her breath. Rick sighed sadly as he could see the fear come to his lover's eyes; when he does become king, the first thing he would do would be to ensure that man's safety.

"Hey!" the brunette gasped softly as his own reflection put a hand over his eyes, only to quickly pull away. "What was that for?"

The image shrugged before nodding in the direction of the pews. Curious, the original man looked over, blinking in disbelief. He clearly remembered the tip of Horatio's right ear being cut off, but now the bandage was over his left. His hair was parted the opposite of what it usually was too. It was like everything about him was reversed. Actually, everything looked reversed.

"What did you do to me?" he hissed, hoping that the Queen wouldn't figure out what was going on with him.

The reflection nodded in the direction of the pews, where Speed's tablet was still sitting upright.

"Yes 'revolution'. I know what it says".

"Look again".

The brunette turned again, although not without rolling his eyes. However, what he saw caught him off guard. He saw a mess of nonsensical letters followed by 'LOVE' and a backwards 'R'.

_So… love is the revolution_, Rick thought,_ but what the fuck does that mean? Aside from the obvious, of course. What is he trying to tell me? How did Speed know about this? Did he know about this? Does he know about Horatio and I? How would he? Maybe I talk in my sleep and he overheard._

Rick flinched as his reflection put his hand over his eyes again. Everything was back to normal and his counterpart was smiling softly at him.

"There it is," Yelina growled, snatching a small scroll from Horatio's trembling hands. She leaned in and hissed, "You couldn't postpone it forever".

Rick's reflection took the paper as it was handed to him, he glanced up at her, and then over at his host before reciting.

"I, the image of the soon to be King Richard do testify that the man before you is of sound mind and body. It is the prophecy of those who have come before us that he may be a ruler of the people. One who will govern wisely and live by the laws of the kingdom. It is with my consent that he may guide the nation's minds in time of piece, and arms in time of war. May your hand know both the sword and the olive branch. May your heart know only our Queen".

Rick wanted desperately to look over to Horatio for guidance, but he knew he couldn't… not now.

"Do you, Rick Stetler, solemnly swear to live by these words and to rule with their promise?"

The reflection looked up at him. They both knew the truth of this: he was cornered. There was nothing he could say that would possibly give him the chase to escape. Nothing to spare Eric. Nothing to save Horatio. Nothing to make things right here… except the promise of two words.

"I do".

The words came on a whisper, but they echoed on every surface. With each second the phrase grew louder as it bounced off every wall of the court room, rushing out the door and ringing in the endless hallways.

Horatio watched through grey and white eyes as Rick's figure grew more and more hopeless. The sparkle he remembered in his lover's dark eyes had gone. He was already becoming part of this world. He was already chained.

"Wonderful," Yelina purred, taking the black bag from Horatio and approaching the two Ricks. The reflection handed the scroll back to her. "And now for the second part of this ceremony: you must take the elixir".

Rick watched as she held up a long and slender vile of a dazzling thick purple liquid, topped with an ornate stopper. The bag was handed back to Horatio as she approached the future king and his reflection.

"This will make you true royalty," she smiled, turning to the reflection, "it is customary for you to take it first".

The image nodded shyly, "alright".

"Give me your hand," she ordered.

He did so, nervously stealing a glance at Rick as he rested the back of his hand on Yelina's palm. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist, holding him fast as she removed the stopper from the vial. It was flat after about a half an inch, going down into a sharp metal point.

The men eyed it up wearily. It shone and dripped with the fluid that coated the metal. She looked into the dark eyes of Rick's reflection, waiting for him to return the sentiment. Slowly, he let their eyes meet. _So… this is going to be my wife now?_

Stab.

Rick's jaw dropped as he heard a sharp cry from his reflection. The image backed away from Yelina, clutching his bleeding hand close to his chest. He looked down at the deep gash running down the middle of his palm.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"Rick," she cooed, "It won't hurt for long".

"What did you do to me?"

"It's just a simple potion, to put royalty in your blood".

The image looked down as the wound began to close up before his eyes. It didn't hurt anymore, but he still cradled it and rubbed his thumb lightly over where the wound was. The queen, meanwhile, turned to Rick.

"Your turn".

Rick's mouth had gone dry and his entire body was shaking. He had already put his hands behind his back and did not intend for her to even see them any time soon. A breath quivered before he shook his head and took a little step back.

"Come on," She purred, "it doesn't hurt for long. Look." She grabbed the hand of his reflection she stabbed just a few seconds ago. "See? He's fine".

The more Rick thought about it, the more nervous he became. What if he didn't heal as quickly as his reflection? What if she stabs him incorrectly and ends up damaging his hand permanently? What if the reflection was just a show and she wants to kill him? The hands stayed behind his back.

The queen nearly growled at this, but decided to stay calm. There would be no point in scaring him now.

"Fine," she sighed, putting the dagger back in the vial, "there is one other way, although less formal".

Rick willed himself to calm down a little. "What's that?"

"Just close your eyes". Rick nervously eyed up the vial. "I promise, I won't use the dagger or anything that will cut your flesh".

"O-okay".

Rick's eyes reluctantly drifted closed, their owner knowing full well that he was now at the Queen's mercy… and odds are she didn't have a lot of it. He flinched as he felt hands on either side of his face, his reaction followed by a soft hush.

Lips brushed against his, the knowledge that they weren't Horatio's made Rick cringe in protest. Fingertips and tongue coaxed his mouth open, ordering him to deepen the kiss. Reluctantly, he obeyed and the mouth closed over his.

The man's eyes snapped open as he felt both tongue and a strange liquid pour into his mouth. She was forcing him to _drink_ it.

Impulsively, he shoved her away and spat the potion out. Yelina stood there staring at him; bent over, sputtering, and trying to keep the bile from rising in his throat.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

_That bastard got me the wrong one._


	14. Fight or Flight

**Chapter Fourteen: Fight or Flight**

The white haired Horatio watched as his lover rejected the queen's kiss at a level he could have only wished for. He bit down on his lip to keep from laughing at the situation. That was most definitely the man he gave all his heart to from the moment he first laid eyes on him.

The Queen spun around and glared into Horatio's innocent white and grey eyes. She stormed over to him, as she got closer, he could feel his jaw loosen up as the spell she cast on him dispersed.

"You are quite aware," she hissed, "that such mockery of your own kingdom is an act of treason".

"Your Majesty?"

"Did I not give you _clear_ instructions as to who I wanted you to bring here?"

"I'm sorry, but I believe I followed the instructions given to me".

"You didn't and you know it, Horatio".

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath to keep from making a scene and alarming Rick. Leaning in close she hissed, "I _specifically_ said someone who would follow my _every_ order".

"I followed every qualification the prophecy set".

"What was written in that old book wasn't nearly as important as what _I_ said the kingdom needs! I don't understand why you are so intent on living by that piece of crap".

"It's the rules and customs that founded the kingdom, your Majesty".

"And were applicable back then, but this is a new age… new order. The book creates an ideal, true… but it wasn't made for building empires". She paused, her memory stopping her tirade dead in its tracks. "You're not talking about the book we have now, are you?"

He took a deep breath before whispering pointedly, "No".

"You know _damn well_ that the old edition was discredited".

"By people whose life you had complete control over!" The white haired man snapped.

"And you are in no position to speak to me like that!"

"The prophecies stated very clearly that you were supposed to step down _years _ago!"

Rick looked up for just a moment from where the gash wound was in his reflection's hand. _What the hell is going on here?_

"I can't do that when there aren't any kings in the other kingdoms who would be faithful," she growled, "I know all too well that your brother wasn't".

Horatio fell silent. That was the most stressful and trying week of his life. Yelina had him running around from kingdom to kingdom, far too busy to even talk to anyone. When he was finally done with the days' worth of mindless tasks and barely any sleep that the Queen set on him, he learned that his brother had been tried and executed. That entire ordeal was another one of the things he wasn't allowed to forget. He didn't even know if the accusations were true or not.

"You can't play dumb with me, Horatio. I told you _exactly _who I wanted".

"You told me to pick up the officer. And I did".

"Well, you got the wrong one," she said sharply, looking over at Rick for a moment before turning back to Horatio, "We have to get rid of him, he's of no use here".

"He could work as a servant in the White Queen's kingdom".

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Showing him the ropes and the tricks of the trade. I don't think so".

"Then we'll have to send him back".

"That's not what I had in mind".

Horatio's eyes widened as his stomach turned to stone and a knot tied itself in his throat. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "You don't mean you have to…"

"You left me no choice but to come to it, Horatio. If you would have just followed my instructions, I wouldn't have had to come to this difficult decision. He simply has to be removed, Horatio".

"NO!"

Rick and his reflection both turned to the scene. Horatio had fallen to his knees, his fingers clenching so tightly onto the Queen's black and red skirt that the veins stood out on the back of his hands. His chest was heaving as breaths became shallow and his silver eyelashes darkened with the tears that he struggled to hold back.

He shook his head, long white ears drooping slightly, "no. No… please, your Majesty".

"I'm serious about my position," she nearly chuckled, a sadistic smirk unfurling across her lips as she watched grey and white eyes fill with tears. "You should have known the consequences of your actions".

"Just…" he gasped, trying to find the right words, "more time. A little more time. Things can still work, your Majesty".

"The final pleas from a desperate man".

The young brunette felt his chest tighten as he watched his lover beg. Beg. He never thought that he would ever see Horatio beg. There was a time when he would have found the action relieving, but not now, not here. The intensity of his voice and the way he trembled…

_Oh my God_ Rick thought, eyes widening as he tried to force his mind to register the scene, _she's going to kill him._

Yelina watched as the older man tried to speak, but the words getting lost somewhere in his throat. She was nearly laughing. Before this, she knew that there was nothing more exhilarating than breaking him. Ripping open his skin and burning his flesh was enjoyable, watching him struggle against the iron and leather binds that strapped him down… hearing his screams cut through the thick air of the dungeons nearly intoxicating. But this… this was so much better. She had always refrained from killing him. In fact, she played with the idea of freezing him in time so she would always do more damage than age ever would. But she still wanted to know what it was like to rip his heart out.

And here he was, sobbing harder than she had ever known he was even capable. Breaking his heart was much more fun than just making him bleed.

"You should have thought this through before you acted so impulsively".

"Don't do this!"

His stomach contorting and bile wanting to rise, Rick knelt down and picked up the dagger that Yelina used to stab his reflection's palm. He rubbed the plasma-like substance onto his pant leg as his fingers wrapped around the hilt. Sweat beaded on his palms, running into the crevices of the ornate handle. He should have been shaking, maybe he was. Maybe he was shaking so hard that it looked like he wasn't moving at all.

His reflection could do nothing but watch as Rick slowly raised to his feet and focused his attention on the back of the Queen.

"Your Majesty, please!" Horatio begged, tears slipping down his pale cheeks, "I'll do anything! I'll leave and never come back! Just please… _please_ don't do this".

"I'll do what I want and what's good for the country".

Rick could hear nothing above the rushing of blood in his ears, his breaths growing heavy and shallow. It felt like if he kept going on like this that he would faint. His skin grew cold and his eyes dilated. Suddenly, what path he chose didn't matter; the consequences for being caught and executed suddenly weighed out evenly with the nightmare of Horatio finding himself in the guillotine.

"Have mercy! I'll never do it again! I'll follow your every word!"

"I know you too well, Horatio".

He was standing right behind her, his heart in his throat and his fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger. His mission was so clear that he could almost see it happening before he even drew back his hand. It was almost like he did it before. Then, in slow motion, his hand swung back and, like a pendulum, forward into the Queen's spine. The pulse that coursed through Rick moved to her, forcing all the breath out her slightly parted lips. She arched back into the blade as the intense wave of pain moved up her spine like a tsunami. The young man reached out a large hand, catching her shoulder before she could fall back onto his chest.

Her legs slipped out from under her, nudging Horatio and making him open his eyes for the first time. Just in time to see her sink down with Rick behind her. The brunette had his eyes closed, almost bracing himself for a shattering scream as warm blood spilled onto his hand. He wasn't breathing. He could hardly think as he guided her down onto the stone floor. A low and strained groan escaped her as he pulled out the dagger, gleaming and dripping a deep crimson.

Horatio stood, looking down at the Queen. She was gasping for life like a fish, trying to breathe with a tight throat and fighting to stay conscious.

_She's not dead_, Rick thought, looking down at her and the blade. He wondered if he should finish the job. The thought of murder still sickened him, he wasn't sure if he would be able to live with himself if he had done it. He wasn't sure what Horatio must think of him.

_Horatio…_

He turned to the older man, still trying to piece things together. "Horatio".

Pearly irises rose to meet the younger man's midnight eyes. The tears kept his vision blurred slightly, but he knew that they had to move fast. "I'll get you out of here".

He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and lightly coaxed the dagger out of Rick's hand. He wiped it down and secured it to his belt before giving the bloodied cloth to Rick. The brunette wiped the thick liquid from his hands, staring down at the bleeding queen the entire time.

"We don't have much time," Horatio whispered, taking Rick's chin in his hand and urging him to meet their eyes. "I have to get you out of the castle. Follow me and try to breathe. You," he looked towards Rick's reflection, "get back in the mirror. We'll meet up with you later".

"Horatio?"

The white haired man turned his attention back to his lover, Rick's hands trembled, still slightly stained with blood. "Did I just…"

"Rick". His voice was gentle, although slightly pointed in tone, "I'll clean you up later. But right now we have to get going. Okay?"

The younger man nodded, still looking down at his hands and the still body at his feet. Horatio's eyes softened in encouragement, taking Rick by the arm and pulling him away from the scene.

oOoOo

"Stop that".

Rick put his hands back down to his sides as Horatio led him through the black, white, and red halls. No matter how hard he rubbed his hands, the blood from under his nails couldn't come out. If anyone saw the slightest hint of red on him, he just knew that they would conclude that he just killed their queen.

"You're making me nervous," Horatio whispered, "just breathe, you'll be fine".

But Rick was positive that he didn't know that. He reached out and took a light hold on the white haired man's jacket sleeve. Although for appearance's sake he was resistant, Horatio knew that it may be the only way Rick would be calmly escorted out of the castle. It wasn't that far to go before they could reach the door leading out into the gardens. He wasn't quite so sure where they would go from there, but they had to keep moving.

"Almost there," he cooed, shifting his arm to take Rick's hand in his, "just a few more rooms".

"Rabbit!"

Rick's blood turned to ice and his heart jumped into his throat. Even though he didn't recognize the voice, he refused to turn around. Horatio caressed the younger man's hand with his thumb, it was as much comfort he could give before he had to turn around and face the source of the voice.

"Yes, sir?"

A man dressed in a robe that had a heart and a number three written on it approached pair. "Where is our Queen?"

Rick was glad he wasn't facing the man, how pale his face got with hearing those words was quite impressive. He felt like he was going to faint.

"Our Highness is alone in thought in the royal court, she has requested to be left alone as she sorts out her thoughts and that a bath be drawn for her so that she may enjoy it the moment she comes out".

"We'll do. Are you…"

"I'm going to show our guest around the great gardens before bringing him in for dinner and then a good night's rest. After that, I plan on turning in for the night".

"Very well".

Horatio reached over and took Rick's hand in his again, gently rubbing at the palm with his thumb as the man walked off. The brunette took a deep breath once Horatio turned back around and started leading him to the gardens again.

"It will buy us time and busy the staff," Horatio whispered, almost under his breath, "but we still have to work quickly".

The gardens in the back were as grand and ornate as those in the front. Impossible flowers of every hue grew along long and whimsical paths. Statues and fountains littered the grounds, standing tall over the flowers. A large hedge surrounded the garden, looking like the only thing that kept it from going off into infinity. The entire scene moved with the sheer number of colorful dragonflies and butterflies that danced across the fragrant air.

Horatio wasn't quite as awe-stuck by the sight was Rick was.

"Speak only to the golden flowers. We have a few things to do".

The brunette let Horatio pull him down winding paths, trying not to get distracted by the copihues the size of sunflowers hanging from a tree that covered nearly the entire garden. Finally, they stopped in front of a fountain. Water tumbled from shallow stone bowl to shallow stone bowl, collecting in a large pool beneath it. Small water lilies and several tiny frogs, all of which looked very poisonous, drifted on the standing surface.

"Rick," Horatio whispered, "I know that this is all coming at you very fast. I promise that I'll explain later, just… right now we can't lose any time. Once I tell you what's going on, you'll have the chance to leave. But until then, I want you to stay with me until you get all the facts. Okay?"

Rick nodded, not sure if he really had a choice. After all, he had just killed the queen. He was just happy that nobody tried to kill him back yet.

"Just do as I do and follow me. I know it will be scary, but I won't let you get into any position that would hurt you".

The white haired man picked up one of the water lilies, shaping it into a cup and dipping it into the fountain. Slowly, he lifted the water filled plant to his lips, tilting his head back and he downed the drink. The lily was passed to Rick, unfurling back into its original form as it was. Looking as helpless and confused as he could, Rick looked up to Horatio, only to find that the older man was growing very short at an alarming rate. It was only a matter of seconds before Horatio was just a little thing, just as tall as his shoe.

Sighing, Rick clumsily folded the lily into something around the general shape Horatio had it. He dipped the slipshod cup into the water, frowning at the amount that spilled out of the cracks. Knowing that he was the real one in danger, Rick quickly tried it again and more-or-less threw the contents into his mouth. Given, he did get more on him than down his throat, but it didn't really seem to matter as he once again began to shrink at an alarming rate.

_Maybe I should have moved the lily once this began to happen. _Rick thought, sitting under a cloud of petals that had settled down on top of him.

A pale hand reached in and gently took Rick by his wrist, leading him out of the flower and away from the fountain. The two of them walked into a patch of golden flowers; they acknowledged Horatio, but seemed to be definitely more concerned with their sunbathing than as to why he was three inches tall. Pressing a finger to his lips and glancing over at Rick, Horatio led them on through the gardens. Rick wished he could have appreciated finally being among flowers that don't want to kill him, but he was far too busy listening for someone to yell "treason!" from the castle.

"Here we are," Horatio whispered, nudging aside a branch from one of the large hedges.

On the other side was a wide and lazy river, the water clear on the pebbled banks. The white haired man picked up a large piece of bark, dragging it halfway into the water.

"I've done this before," he assured Rick as he picked up a good sized stick, "albeit, not with passengers. But we should be fine. The only problem is that this will take a while. I suggest you get some rest, I can steer".

Rick was about to object until he realized that he was absolutely powerless in this situation. He had killed royalty and was overall helpless in a strange land with strange rules. Right now, anything Horatio said was his order. He washed his hands in the cool water before climbing onto the vessel. His paranoia enough to completely drain him of energy, Rick curled up on the bark raft, Horatio pushing off the bank and into the steady current.

oOoOo

Rick woke up just in time to watch Horatio slow the raft to a halt, bringing it in to shore. They were far from the clear skies of the land around the castle, the towering trees and wild, untamed grass hinting that they were back in the forest. A soft glow of a sunset peeked through the trees.

"Home," Horatio announced, stepping off the raft and offering a hand to Rick. "Given, I'm not sure where to go from here, but it's a start. We have to pack a few supplies before we go off to find your library again".

Rick blinked. The library. Miami. The case. He had almost forgotten about them over the past few hours. How long had he been here? The days turn to nights so quickly that Rick was positive that these weren't twenty-four hour days. Was he really here or was this a dream? Was he dead?

As the younger man was lost in thought, Horatio walked through the grass, pulling him along. He grabbed a piece of a nearby mushroom, handing some to Rick. The two of them instantly grew back to their normal size, Rick still far too distracted to even notice such things anymore.

Once they returned to their normal height, Rick could see that they were coming up behind a house. Judging by the shape and the style, he guessed it was the back of Horatio's. Maybe nobody knew about the white rabbit's connection to the assassination. Maybe this was a safe place. How much time had passed, again?

Horatio fumbled with his coat pockets for a while before finally pulling out a key to the back door. Nervously pushing it open to hear a voice from within.

"You both know damn well that your heads will roll for this".


	15. Left Behind

**Chapter Fifteen: Left Behind**

"Jesse?" Horatio hissed, pulling Rick into the darkened kitchen and closing the door behind them. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Me? What about you? Look, I know that I've done some pretty damn careless things, but this… this is suicide!"

"It was a misunderstanding, Rick was-"

"-you aren't talking in riddles".

The two men turned to look at Rick, who had made the last observation. Horatio supposed that he must have just been so frustrated that he didn't notice. "What's going on?"

"I can't decide if you two are heroes or idiots!"

"Will you keep your voice down?"

Jesse sighed, pursing his lips together and curling his tail around to groom the pink and purple fur. Horatio did have a point, and if they were the fugitives he suspected they were, then he would soon become an accomplice. He pulled out one of the chairs that surrounded a cluttered kitchen table. "Sit down and just tell me what happened".

"We don't have the time for that, Jesse," Horatio insisted, shaking his head.

"Tell me so I can help you".

"We have to get out of here".

"You don't even know where you're going!" The cat snapped at him, "Rick couldn't see where he was and you can't remember what you had for breakfast this morning! Nobody knows how to get to the other side!"

"Then what do _you_ plan to do?"

"Damnit, Horatio! I just want to help!"

"Bullshit! I _know_ that the Queen had you spy on Rick and I. You saw us…" Horatio trailed off, too disgusted by Jesse to finish his thought.

The younger man looked away, not really wanting to look at Horatio and Rick but knowing that he had to be honest. "She threatened my life if I didn't find out what you two were up to".

"So that's it then, you just did it?"

"Even if I did die for the sake of the privacy of your sex-life, she would have just found someone else to do it!"

"You just can't calmly admit to spying on two people having sex and then not expect some sort of reaction, Jesse!" Rick snapped, his face flushing a bright pink.

"I didn't do it for my own perverted pleasure!"

The three of them stood in the kitchen, Jesse looking helplessly at the two men glaring at him. It was a few seconds before Horatio shook his head and began rummaging for things in the cupboards and setting them down on the counter. They looked like glass jars filled with different herbs and powders.

"If you want to help us," Horatio started, not taking his eyes off the cabinets, "cover our tracks. Rick, do me a favor and get the suitcase from upstairs. I keep a large one under the bed. Put a blanket and two towels in it. That's all we can carry for now. We need to travel light".

"I'll get it," Rick cooed, lightly touching the white haired man's hip before he turned and headed for the stairs.

Jesse waited until Rick's footfalls trailed into the bedroom before he began picking up some of the ingredients that Horatio had set down on the counter. He was shoved away.

"I can take care of that ear, Horatio".

"It's fine. Don't worry about me".

"I won't take long, just a simple healing and protection spell. I need some of your rosemary".

It took all of Horatio's control to not slam the glass box of cloves he was pulling out onto the counter. He knew that Jesse never talked to him unless he wanted something for himself. Irritated, the white haired man handed Jesse the rosemary and dug a black candle out of the cabinets.

"You know that I hate getting this sort of stuff involved," Horatio said sternly as he took off the blood stained handkerchief. If the wound didn't sting so persistently, he wouldn't have let Jesse sit him down and begin work on his ear.

"If we could smuggle Rick into the next kingdom, he might be safe," Jesse suggested as he lit the candle, mixing the potion in Horatio's mortar and dipping a fresh handkerchief into it. "You know that Yelina isn't taken very seriously".

"Since when do you have any interest in the resistance?"

"You know, there were people outside of you, Valera, and Speed. Nobody wants to live like this".

"But you followed her orders to-"

"-I know how to play my cards, Horatio," Jesse assured him as he tied the potion-stained fabric over the white haired man's wound and extinguished the flame. "If I refused, she would have been positive that we were all against her. She still has the illusion of complete power".

Horatio stood, nodding his thanks to the younger man. He went to the sink, cleaning up the mortar and pestle. "Nobody's safe anymore".

"I know".

"Horatio!"

The two men in the kitchen looked up to where they heard Rick crying. Jesse received a quick glare before he was ordered to clean up and not leave the kitchen. It took only a few seconds before Horatio was scrambling up the stairs after the call. He shoved into his bedroom, seeing the suitcase packed and the bathroom door open.

"Rick?" he called out, looking around and poking his head into the bathroom. The brunette was curled up into a ball against the shower, not really looking or focusing on any particular direction.

"H-Horatio," he stammered, "I don't have a reflection".

He looked up just in time to see his lover's face turn an unearthly shade of pale. The next thing he knew, he was being dragged back into the bedroom, staying low to the ground.

"Stay down, don't go near mirrors," Horatio ordered as he led Rick downstairs. "Jesse!"

The young, cat-like man looked up just in time to see the others walk into the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"Rick's reflection didn't make it back into the mirror," the white haired man mumbled as he sat his lover down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"What? You mean you didn't stay to help him back in!"

"I thought he had a handle on things," Horatio snapped, "And it's not like we weren't in a hurry".

"You're leading them right to our door, Horatio!"

Rick shook looking desperately up into his lover's eyes, "I'm sorry".

Taking a deep breath, Horatio ran his fingers through Rick's soft brown hair. "It's not your fault. But we have to correct this. If you and your reflection ever get separated, he would know what reflective surface you last looked in. He's incomplete without you and is driven to find you again and get back in the mirror".

"How do we get him back in?"

Jesse growled. "Why doesn't he know any of this?"

"Give him a break! He's had a lot to take in".

"Maybe if you two didn't waste time in bed…"

"How about you mind your own goddamn business?" The white haired man shouted before turning his attention back to Rick. "Similar to how you got him out, you lead him back in. But if you can't be there, I heard that if you break open the mirror that you let him out of, he could climb back in on his own".

"That's never been proven, Horatio!"

"Well it's our only shot. If he's still in the castle, I know that the guards will have an eye on him".

"Then he's in the dungeon, do you want me to check?"

Rick's lover hesitated for only a moment before answering. "Sure, just come right back".

"I will".

The brunette watched as the young man once again vanished into thin air. He looked down as Horatio gently squeezed his shoulder. A soft blush crossed his cheeks as a gentle kiss pressed against him.

"We're in danger, aren't we?" Rick whispered, looking up at the older man.

"We might be. I'll just grab the suitcase and head over to Eric's old place. If they know that we're not here, they might think that your reflection was confused. Don't worry, I don't think that anyone would hurt him".

Horatio pulled up a chair, sitting down next to the younger man. The brunette watched as his hand was lifted up to Horatio's lips, a gentle kiss being placed on his knuckles.

"You're too good for me, Horatio," Rick whispered as his hand was turned and the white haired man began sucking on his wrist.

"Tell me about your world," Horatio mumbled between nips. "What's your home kingdom like?"

The younger man smiled at the question. "Well, fist of all, it's not a kingdom. It's just a large city run by (more or less) a democratic process. Before I came here, I worked internal affairs for the Miami-Dade County Police Department. Protecting the people from crooked policemen".

"What about your family?"

"My father died fourteen years ago. Mom passed away three years ago. My sister lives out in New Jersey with her husband".

"You… don't have a wife, do you?"

"No".

"Husband?"

Rick shook his head, "two men aren't allowed to marry where I come from".

"Oh," Horatio muttered, chewing on his lip, "are you seeing someone? Because I can get you back to him if-"

"No. In fact, I used to be positive that I'd never find anyone right for me".

"Well… what do you think now?"

Rick smiled, "I think that you've proven me wrong".

They met half-way as both men leaned in to kiss at the same time. The next thing Rick knew, Horatio was straddling his legs and caressing his chest passionately. Even after all they had gone through, it still caught the brunette slightly off-guard to see Horatio sexually charged. Tongues swirled around each other as they put caution aside once again to feed their desires. Horatio gasped and blushed as his tail was played with by wandering hands. Stetler shivered as his lover slowly began to grind against his thigh.

"Gentlemen?"

Horatio quickly scrambled off the brunette's legs to face Jesse. The cat-like man crossed his arms and watched as Rick tried to duck away.

"They moved the mirror into the dungeon," Jesse told them. "Don't worry about your reflection, Rick. He doesn't have a scratch on him. I don't think he told them where we are, but they're keeping a close eye on him".

Rick bit at his lip nervously. "So what do we do?"

Jesse and Horatio exchanged glances for a second. "You won't like this, Horatio," the younger man warned, "but he has to go back with me".

"Excuse me?"

Horatio sighed, his white and grey eyes looking over to Rick. "You're the only one who can get your reflection back to where he's supposed to be. It means you're traveling with Jesse back to the castle". He walked over and started grabbing various herbs from the counter and mixing them together. "We'll get you to a smaller size, just to make things a little safer. You can get back to normal when you come back".

Rick anxiously watched his lover mix the concoction with some drink he pulled out of the cabinet. He shifted his weight, uncomfortable with how helpless he was here. How many times had he already been told to "drink this" or "eat that" or "go there"? This version of Horatio wouldn't fit in with the rest of Miami if they get home, but at least there would be a better sense of control.

"Drink this," Horatio ordered, turning around and holding up a bowl of sweet-smelling liquid.

The brunette took a deep breath before reaching out and lifting the bowl from Horatio's hands. He sipped, slowly at first. The potion went down easily and it wasn't long before he was only a few inches tall again. Impulsively, he scrambled up onto Horatio's shoe, his fear of the soles of feet rekindled. Above him, Horatio pulled out an empty cheese shaker from the cupboards and tied a lanyard to it. The next thing Rick knew, he was inside the container and draped around Jesse's neck.

"Be careful with him".

"I will, Horatio. I don't doubt his importance".

"Then what _do_ you doubt?"

Jesse sighed and shook his head. "This is dangerous".

"And it would be careless to stand still".

"You're really serious about escaping. Look, you can't. Nobody has been able to. The prophecy said that if anyone-".

"-I don't believe in destiny," Horatio said sternly, "I just pretend I do".

The two men looked down as Rick knocked on the walls of his glass chamber and stared quizzically up at Horatio. Grey and white eyes softened, a gentle smile spreading across the white haired man's lips.

"I don't want you to worry," Horatio cooed, "I know that it's all very complicated, but I'll explain it to you once we have the time. I promise".

Although he wished he had the answers, Rick was happy to settle with that for the time being. "I love you".

"I love you too, Rick," Horatio smiled, a glint of happiness flashing in his sad eyes before he turned his attention back to Jesse. "You have to be quick, but efficient".

"I know".

"Godspeed".

oOoOo

Rick looked around, suddenly staring at a large stone wall and a heavy wooden door. He was cold, thankful that he was still dressed in the formal wear the Queen gave him. Jesse started walking, making Rick lose his balance and fall into a heap at the bottom of the shaker.

"You have to be quiet," Jesse warned, wishing he would have thought of a plan a little earlier so he could have briefed Rick then. "The Queen has placed a spell on the dungeon so nobody can use magic in there but her. If it were any different, I would have brought you right to the mirror. I'll retrieve what we need. Ryan has agreed to hide you in a small hole in the wall to keep you safe until I get back. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. But how do I get my reflection back into the mirror or break it or… whatever you need me to do?"

"You won't be able to lead him back in, just because of your size right now. But if you put a crack in it, then he should be capable of returning when he can. We obviously can't stay long, so once you do what you need, we have to get back up here so I can take you back to Horatio's".

"Alright".

Without another word, Jesse pushed open the door and followed a narrow and torch-lit stairwell. Rick shivered, wishing he had something to hold onto as the younger man made his way down the steep, narrow, and uneven stairs.

"If I hand you over," Jesse whispered, "It wouldn't be personal… and I'll get you back to Horatio".

"…What?"

"Shh".

At the bottom of the stairway was another wooden door. Jesse stood there for a long moment, not moving and barely breathing. His ears twitched slightly and his tail swayed from side to side, listening and sensing in every way he could. Only after deciding it was safe, the door was pushed open and they walked into the dungeon.

"Jesse? Stetler?"

Rick peered through the dim light, staring in the direction of the rattling of chains. Ryan's figure took shape as they approached, the scratches and bruises on his face becoming clearer with each step. In the corner of the same cell was Eric, curled up and facing the wall. His clothes were torn and his knees he had pulled up to his chest.

"You shouldn't have called our names," Jesse scolded, handing Rick through the bars and into Ryan's blackened hands. "If it wasn't us, it would only have made matters worse".

"Sorry, Jesse. We're a little mad right now".

"And for good reason. But I'll do what I can to break you two out once I get Rick back to Horatio".

Rick startled as he was jerked up to eye-level with Ryan. "If we lose our heads tomorrow," Ryan whispered to him, "they'll never come back".

"Hide him," Jesse ordered, "We all can chat once we get out of here".

"Of course".

Rick listened as Jesse's nearly silent footfalls drifted away as Ryan brought him over to Eric. The hatter looked up at them.

"Tea?"

"No. Not tea. Stetler".

"Okay".

Eric shifted away from the wall, revealing a good-sized and inconspicuous node they had carved out for him. Eric may be mad, but he was ingenious when he needed to be.

After a failed attempt, they discovered that Rick would fit best into the hole sideways. They knew that the metal cap of the cheese shaker would attract attention, so they turned it so the air-holes were facing the wall. Okay, so they were still mad.

Rick sat down and watched as Eric shifted back to his original position. That was all he could watch before he was wrapped in darkness. But it wasn't as dark as Rick expected a closed cave would be. There was a bit of light seeping in near one of the shaker's holes. Rick crawled over and inspected this. There was definitely some light source coming out of the wall. He picked away at the small stones, his curiosity growing with the light. There was definitely another room back there.

Determined to find out what was there, Rick loosened the cap from the shaker. It only took two good kicks before the thin wall gave way and the top of the shaker fell onto some wooden surface in a new room.

He sneezed, although managing to keep quiet. Poking his head out of the new hole in the wall, Rick looked down at the dusty wooden surface the lid of his container landed on. He looked up, the ceiling only being about a foot above his head. In front of him was a large glass flask and something that looked like a skull; beyond those things the room seemed to open out into a much larger room. He approached the flask and looked out into the rest of the chamber.

_Oh my God._


	16. For Every Action

_I'm alive! My Beta is Wolfsong98._

_10 month delays are not cool. Babies have been conceived and born between updates; none that I know, but theoretically they have. _

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: For Every Action…**

Rick's chocolate eyes drank in the separate dungeon he had discovered. The walls had chains built into them, tall and narrow cages hung from the ceiling, chairs and tables with heavy leather straps were bolted to the stone floor. Scorch marks were burnt into the wall near the chains, blood staining everything else. There was an unmistakable air of dread and fear that lingered in the stillness. Although Rick couldn't even begin to imagine the nightmarish history the dungeon had, it still made him sick to his stomach.

Listening closely to the shaker, Rick decided that he still had a bit of time to look around this place before he was needed back with Jesse and the others. He went on to explore the wooden surface he had settled on, discovering that he was on top of a bookshelf. And although most of it was grim, there was one aspect of the dungeon that had captured his attention.

On the other side of the room was a large wooden cabinet with rows of small cubby holes fitted with little glass doors. He would have quickly abandoned them if he didn't see a long line of shelving leading from his bookshelf to the cabinet.

_The things I put up with_, Rick thought at his curiosity as he walked to the edge of the wooden platform he was standing on. There were several jars with brass lids that were lined up in a neat row about an inch down from Rick. He slowly lowered himself onto the first, making sure that it was sturdy before he put his full weight on it. Carefully, Rick made his way across the jars, smiling to himself when he saw a short stack of books just a few centimeters down from the last container.

From his new position on the shelving, Rick could easily see across the stone room. There was a large metal door as the only entrance or exit. It was the sort of door that was conceived in the notion of holding someone in.

On the wall were rows of tools. They were simple in nature, but in a place such as this, they were unmentionable. When he looked closely, he could almost see the blood caked onto those instruments. It made his stomach twist is discomfort and he had to stop thinking about it.

He kept his head down, watching his feet as he walked along the wooden shelf. There were a few drops of dried blood on his shoes from the Queen. All it did was remind him of how quickly he wanted to get back to Horatio so they could run away together. How quickly Rick had adjusted to this world should have scared him, but it didn't. Maybe his overactive imagination managed to convince him in his weakest moments that this was always possible. There was just something so comforting about the possibility of escape that he accepted his situation. His life back in Miami was overall uneventful. He woke up, took a shower, ate breakfast, worked IAB, went home, ate dinner, watched some TV, maybe read a book, and went to sleep. So much of a "normal, healthy life" was rooted in routine that Rick wanted to run away from it all more often than not. He promised himself that he would tour Asia and South America once he retired, hoping that it would inspire him to do something with his life that people would remember him for. He had long ago abandoned the thought of ever having children, now sure that he was too old to raise a family of his own. After that went the notion of ever getting married or finding love at all. These things did nothing but depress him if he dwelled on them for too long. If he couldn't have a family, he at least wanted to be remembered, and he was pretty sure that his work in IAB wouldn't accommodate that.

Nearly bumping into something, Rick stopped and looked up, happy for the distraction. In front of him was a large jar filled with a translucent blue liquid. Floating inside was a specimen of some sort, curled up into the fetal position. It looked like a fairy; delicate limbs curled up against a small body, large wings spouting out of the gentle curve of its back, and long hair that floated weightlessly in the liquid. Curious, Rick leaned in to examine its face.

It was Natalia.

_Wait. What?_

He looked long and hard, but Natalia's face remained on the small creature. Although his curiosity was far from satisfied, Rick realized that he had to get moving or else he would never get to the cabinets that had caught his attention. After listening closely and deciding he still had time, Rick pressed his slender body against the wall and slowly inched past the jar, making sure not to move it much.

As he crept along, Rick was a little surprised to have to slide past another jar of the same size. After passing it, he stopped to examine the object. This one was filled with a green liquid, similar to the blue. It too had a small fairy curled up inside, although this one was far too familiar. Valera's soft and familiar face was resting on the knees that were pulled up to her chest. A subtlety pained expression was on her face, making Rick's heart sink. Her death was quick, but violent.

_What are you doing here, Valera?_

Saddened, Rick put his hand to the glass. It was warm… maybe a little hot. He watched her for a long moment, searching for any hint of life in her. But it wasn't long before he decided to abandon this hope for now and go back to checking out the cabinet. He would be coming by her again on the way back.

It didn't take long until Rick was standing next to a large cabinet, with little glass doors about as tall as he was. On them were etched small figures. A little white sheep, a green top hat, a pink cat, a brown rabbit, and white rabbit were the ones he could make out. Each door had a small silver knob of a handle.

Carefully and bracing himself on the ledge, Rick leaned in and stared into the sheep labeled door. Inside was a small black vial and a little box lying next to it. He slipped off his shoes and socks and stepped onto the knob from the next row of glass doors. His legs shaking slightly, he worked his way across the row, stopping at the picture of the small white rabbit.

Clasping onto the knob, Rick peered into the cabinet. Stored inside was a glass vial filled with a sky blue liquid and two small boxes. Curious, Rick braced himself against the other cabinets and pulled the small door open. He pulled himself into the cubby, it being just large enough for him to fit inside. First he sat perfectly still, listening for any cue that he should immediately go rushing back to his vessel in the wall. Content that he wasn't needed quite yet, Rick pulled one of the boxes over and opened it. Inside was a tiny scrap of blue fabric and a tiny scrap of black fabric. Rick looked them over, but they didn't have any writing or markings on them. He shrugged and put them back in their box before opening the next. This one was quite different. The box was filled with a mass of soft and silky ginger hair. Rick slowly ran his fingers over it. It confirmed his suspicion of what he had stumbled upon.

This was where Horatio's lost features had disappeared to.

Although he didn't know what he was doing, Rick quickly pulled the fabric out of the box and stuffed it in his pocket. Using his tie, he attached the vial to his hip, hoping that it wouldn't get too much in the way. The box of hair, he clutched to his chest. Maybe Horatio or Jesse knew how to break the spell and bring Horatio back to his former self.

The short climb back onto the shelf didn't take as long as Rick feared it would. With the door closed behind him, it would take more than a glance for someone to notice that anything was gone. He held the small box as he made his way back across the shelves.

Valera's floating form was still a mystery to him, how she got there and why she was there was lost on Rick. Natalia was also a mystery to him. But there was only so much time that he could set aside trying to figure this out before he knew that he needed to get back. And with the extra objects in tow, he didn't want to waste any time. He'll ask Horatio later.

Rick climbed back up the shelves and onto the ledge he had first climbed onto. Carefully, he wrapped the vial and box inside his jacket and tucked it inside the glass shaker. He peered out to see that Eric was still in the same spot, relived to see that he still had some time to spare. As he was strolling around the dusty ledge, he heard a loud crash that nearly stopped his heart.

"Where is he?"

"Look, I don't kn-"

"Where the fuck is he?"

Rick had thrown himself onto the ledge, not minding the dust as he tried to hide from the voices. Nervously, he crawled over to the ledge and looked down.

"I don't know!" Rick heard his own voice shout, "I just brought you where I thought I felt him!"

"You're lying!"

Below him was his own reflection. A certain fear was in his eyes and the air around him. There was a thick iron collar around his neck, a chain leading from it to the hand of a woman in queen's robes. He choked as the chain was pulled roughly.

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"Yes you would," the woman hissed, starting to pace. "You would do anything to help that bastard, Horatio."

Rick's eyes widened as he saw the woman. Her features were unmistakable, her soft face and light blonde hair. It was Valera, although now as tall as she was as a human. Rick had heard her voice many times before, but he didn't want to believe that it was her saying those words.

"Horatio has nothing to do with this," Rick heard his reflection lie.

"Your host's gay lover has everything to do with this. And I know how protective Horatio is; Rick's not going to get out of his sight. Now tell me where they are."

"I thought he was here, I-"

Rick's reflection was interrupted as Valera grabbed a whip off the wall and brought it down upon his shoulder. Stetler ducked down as he saw the whip slice at the clothing, ripping it at the seam. The man below him cautiously backed away from Valera, who was staring him down. Decisively, she stormed over to a wooden chair with leather straps and heavy metal cuffs rigidly standing on the arms. Above it dangled a leather and metal headpiece. She tugged on the chain, making the image choke before he obediently followed her over.

"Sit down," she ordered.

"Your Majesty?"

"Sit _down!_" Valera shouted, tugging roughly on his chain for good measure.

Rick's image choked again before obeying, shaking nervously as she strapped him down. Rick, meanwhile, backed a little farther away from the ledge.

"W-what are you doing?"

"You seem very intent on staying with me," Valera growled as she strapped down his chest just a little too tightly. "And if that's what's going to happen, you might as well learn a few things."

"'Learn a few things'?" the reflection echoed.

"What life will be like here. But first…" she said, pausing to think for a short moment before smiling to herself. "First you're going to see what will happen to Horatio if you _don't_ hand him over to me. If you're going to make your Queen do all the work, things might be a little… messier. I'm a very busy woman and I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with fugitives."

Rick backed away a little more as Valera abandoned the body and went to the rack of various devices on the wall. She pulled out a hypodermic needle and filled it with a yellow and purple fluid. Both men were trembling as she stalked back to the chair.

"What's that?"

Valera smirked and shook her head. "You ask too many questions."

She raised the needle and drove it right into the man's temple, holding it there for a long moment before pushing down on the syringe. Rick quickly covered his mouth, despite the sound of his own voice screaming in pain and horror already filling the air.

"Jesus! Fuck! What the hell?"

Valera just shook her head in disapproval. "Such language. I guess I'll have to fix that too… but later."

Rick watched quietly as Valera slowly pulled the needle out, a narrow trail of blood seeping out from the point. Rick felt a cold sweat break out on his brow; the experience being merely surreal to him, he could hardly imagine what it must be like for the other man. He struggled against the straps and cuffs as Valera put away the needle before pulling down a lever that slowly lowered the headpiece for the chair. A nasty array of wires and chains descended with it from the ceiling as the smell of electricity filled the dungeon air. The sight of this made Rick's stomach begin to knot again as he struggled to remind himself Horatio's promise that no harm would come to his reflection. Although he had no idea what would happen to him if his image was hurt, he wasn't inclined to find out. But, it was a wooden chair, so the entire thing wasn't electric.

_What the hell is she doing?_

"Rick," Valera cooed as she walked towards the man strapped to the chair. "Horatio's Stetler," she stopped and chuckled to herself. "You don't want him to get hurt, do you?"

"I don't know where he is."

She pouted and shook her head disapprovingly before settling the headpiece down on top of the man in the chair. Rick felt sick once again as he watched. His imagination, the wires, and the rack of tools drove him to the edge of what he could possibly tolerate. But what could he do other than look away?

As soon as she secured the device to him, Valera walked over to the rack of tools, opening a drawer and pulling out a blindfold, stained red and blue. Rick's reflection didn't speak, but tensed and pulled back into the chair as she approached and tied it over his eyes.

_What the hell's going on?_

Looking quite proud of herself, Valera walked behind him and flipped several very audible switches. The reflection seemed to black out for a short moment before his feet and his began swaying slightly, like he was trying to walk while sitting down. Giggling in her throat, Valera sat down on a blood stained wooden table and watched him.

"Horatio?" he asked the air, clearly seeing something that existed only in his head. "Horatio, where are you? Horatio?"

Valera sat cross-legged on the table, laughing quietly to herself as she watched him.

"Horati-"

He stopped, his breath catching and a cold sweat beginning to cover his body. He pulled against the chair's restraints.

"HORATIO! No! Let him go! Put him down! Hor-"

Rick felt his chest tighten as the room suddenly became eerily still. He could hardly breathe, he knew what was coming, he could see it in himself.

"No… NO! God! No. No. Please!"

A deep and painful cry from deep inside him filled the stale air and he pulled hard enough against the restraints to make his writs bleed. Rick couldn't stand much more of it. Before Rick was able to pull himself together enough to move away from the ledge, he heard Valera laugh.

Rick's reflection sobbed again, a cutting moan of pain coming from his throat. "No. No, no, no, no, no."

Unable to watch anymore, Rick pulled himself back towards the hole in the wall. As he walked away, Valera's laugher pierced through the sound of his own screams. Shaking in fear, Rick climbed back into the shaker he came in. It wasn't long before he screwed the lid back on from the inside and curled up in a ball near the base. As hard as he tried to cover his ears and divert his attention away from what he knew was happening; he couldn't. Even when he shut off all his senses to the outside world, he could still hear his own voice crying.

_Oh God_, Rick whispered, although unsure if he was in prayer or not. _Please make it stop. Let him wake up._

oOoOo

Rick didn't open his eyes until he felt Eric shift next to him. It was only a few minutes after the screams stopped that Rick had to pull himself back into the situation he was sent there for. Valera's threats to do that again were still fresh in his mind as he was pulled out of the wall.

"Jesse? Is that you? What happened?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Sitting on the opposite side of the bars was a pink a purple striped cat with big yellow eyes. He nodded at Rick and stepped a little closer. Ryan reached through the bars and tied Rick's vessel to the cat's neck.

"What happened?" Rick whispered as Jesse walked them away from Ryan and Eric's cell.

"I was caught prowling," Jesse answered, his voice hushed. "She didn't like it much. I'm sorry I took so long, but my state made things a little harder to get done."

Rick clutched onto the vial and box of hair as Jesse climbed up and along a narrow passageway. Just the feeling of Horatio's effects so close to him was able to comfort Rick and give him the strength he needed. Soon Jesse stopped and set him down in front of a rope pulled taut into another room and blade sitting on the floor.

"This is as far as we're going," he said softly. "You're the only one who can cut the rope and open the mirror for your reflection."

Rick unscrewed the lid once again and stepped out, looking around. "I can't even see the mirror."

"It's well out of your line of sight. But really, that's the safest way to do it."

Wishing he was able to make more of his own decisions, Rick got to cutting the rope. Jesse lay down just a little ways away, watching protectively.

"What are you keeping wrapped up in your jacket?"

"Just some things I swiped from the dungeon that Horatio might find useful."

"Really?"

"Mhmm."

Jesse watched as the rope began to give a little more with each slice. "Nobody knows how to break these curses we're under."

"Well… it won't be for lack of trying."

"I know that you love him, but there are some things that you just can't save him from."

"It won't be for lack of trying," Rick repeated before the rope finally gave. He winced as he heard a crash somewhere out of his line of sight. "Are we sure this would work?"

"Pretty sure. Back in the shaker."

Rick climbed back in and secured the top. He toppled over as Jesse took off running as soon as he was sure his passenger wouldn't fall off. "We bought Eric and Ryan another day, at least. But I don't want you to worry about them. I'll take care of things here. What's important is that you and Horatio get out as soon as you can. Once I get you home, I need you two to head east and only stop when your legs can't carry you any longer. Keep going until you're free from this world."

Rick was quiet for a little while, watching as they ran past Eric and Ryan's cell once more. "Why are you so worried about us?"

"If you're liberated by the next world, then the rest of us can be. All we need is to be discovered."

It wasn't long before the two of them were out the door and back outside. It was dark already, fireflies appearing and disappearing into the deep blueness.

And just as soon as they were there, they were gone.

oOoOo

Jesse had taken them to a spot right outside Horatio's house so Rick could eat a mushroom and grow back to his proper size. It began to disturb him how much of this process was becoming routine. The once cumbersome box and vial were now quite small and nearly too tiny for him to even pick up. The items pocketed, he opened the door for Jesse, who ran in.

"Jesse?" Rick heard Horatio ask from within the house. "Is that you? What happened?"

"It's complicated, but don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Rick closed the door behind him and walked into the living room. Horatio was kneeling on the floor in front of Jesse, petting him sympathetically. He was clad in the same black suit with the blue shirt that Rick always remembered him in. He still had long rabbit's ears coming out of his head, but they were a brilliant red, so was the rest of the hair on his body. What's best was when he looked up at Rick, sky blue eyes peering through the dimly lit room to meet with Stetler's brown.

"Hello there, handsome," Rick smiled, approaching as Horatio stood.

The redhead gave Rick a good and hard look before wondering aloud, "Who are you?"


	17. Blank

**Chapter Seventeen: Blank**

Those three words broke Rick's heart enough so that its beat was nothing more than an almost motionless pat in Rick's chest. This day had been too much, and although that he knew he needed to run, Rick was looking forward to finally lying down by Horatio's side.

"I'm Rick… Rick Stetler."

Horatio looked away for a moment before meeting their eyes again, "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

Frantic, Rick reached out and grabbed a hold of the redhead's arms. Horatio startled as he was held firmly and deep brown eyes focused on him with an intensity he had never before experienced. Stetler's voice trembled as he spoke again, "I'm Rick. You know, Stetler."

Horatio just shook his head. The two men looked down as they heard the soft padding of Jesse's paws against the wood floor. Calmly, Jesse climbed up onto the couch by the red haired rabbit's side.

"Horatio," he said, "I know that this is hard for you to understand, but you were under a horrible curse. I know little about the kind that had a hold on you, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was painful to the point of being maddening. Rick broke it for you."

The redhead looked between the cat and the man standing in his living room. He would say that he didn't believe them, but he wasn't sure if that was true. The last thing he remembered was walking into the palace to visit his brother. He couldn't for the life of him remember how he got in his living room.

"I know that there's no way of proving this to you," Jesse said, hoping for Rick's and everyone else's sakes that Horatio could have the faith to believe him. "Look, many things happened when you were under the curse. Just feel your ear, you lost the tip for a good cause; I promise you that."

Reaching up, Horatio curiously felt at his bandaged ear, noticing the wound for the first time. He looked up at Rick.

"I was there," Rick assured him. "You were quite noble."

Horatio looked back down at Jesse, who just nodded. "Who did this to me?"

"I cannot speak or hear the name," the cat quickly blurted out before Rick could say anything. "If I do, I will lose my ability to speak. But I can assure you that whoever it is is very powerful and that _you_ are in danger."

"Wait," Horatio said, holding up his hand. "If all this happened during the time I was under this 'curse', then how am I still enough of a threat to be in danger?"

"Grudges aren't known for being susceptible to knowledge," Rick answered quietly.

Scrambling for a comeback to this, Horatio opened and closed his mouth, but no sound could come out. His eyes dropped, hands quickly following. He trusted Jesse, and if he said that this stranger in the living room with them was okay, he had no quarrel with him. If he hadn't just suddenly appeared in his living room with a missing piece of ear, he wouldn't have been so accepting of his current situation. But, things being as they are, he didn't have much of a choice.

"What do you need me to do?"

"You and Rick need to get going. I'll take you to Eric, Ryan, and Speed's place. Once we get there, you two need to head east and not stop until you reach the next world."

"Wait. 'The next world'?"

"It's a library," Rick explained; not quite sure if that made things any clearer.

"And we have to get going soon. I think that it's best if you travel light and not stop at the house. Go freshen up, you have a long walk ahead of you."

Rick looked up, his gaze following Horatio on the stairs. Not sure of what to think of all this, he ground his foot into the floorboards before starting to pace across the length of the small living room. The suitcase he had packed earlier was brought down and sitting by the door beside a folded umbrella and a long, heavy jacket. He didn't want to think about how he almost ran away with Horatio, a Horatio who could love him. The skin on his fingertips tingled longingly, trying to recall the feeling of the older man's lips sweetly pressing against them.

"You freed him from the curse, Rick," Jesse reminded him as he jumped up on top of the couch to get eye-level with the brunette. "You won't have to worry about him forgetting who you are or how you met or anything important like that."

"But he already _has_ forgotten it," Rick muttered, listening to Horatio's footfalls upstairs. "He forgot everything. And I don't even know why he fell for me to begin with; for all I know, it happened _because_ of the curse."

"He's free now."

"He's not free!" Rick snapped, his eyes glaring fiercely down at Jesse. "He's confused. He's scared. We're forcing him out of his house. He can't even remember what he did that made him a hero and a fugitive. And you better be the one to tell him that his brother is dead and Valera will never be the same, because he'll never forgive me if I tell him."

Jesse looked up and Rick heard the soft creak of the stairs as Horatio started down. He looked unbelievably handsome in color, just seeing him was enough to make Rick's intense eyes and angular features soften. The red hair looked infinitely softer and sweeter than the white. Brilliant eyes, the color of sapphire cast downwards, sadly and helplessly, watching the steps as he tried not to misstep. There was a slight change in the color of his pale skin, something that Rick wouldn't have even noticed if he didn't already worship Horatio's body. His once clear and china-like skin now had a tinge to it with the countless freckles that dusted his shoulders and hands. A quiet longing pulled at Rick to gently peel off Horatio's caressing layers of black and blue clothes to brush his lips over every freckle.

The redhead nervously shifted his weight as he stood on the landing. "Are we leaving soon?"

Rick nodded and put his hand on the doorknob, unsure if they had everything they needed or not.

"You need your defensive potions," Jesse spoke up. "You were collecting some in the kitchen earlier."

Horatio cocked his head. "I was?"

"Yeah. And Rick, I suggest you grab some mushrooms from the front yard to take with you. Just in case."

"On the way out," Rick nodded, reaching onto the bookshelf and picking up a small book titled Basic Herbal Healing. The book went into one of the outer pockets of the suitcase. It wasn't that he didn't trust Horatio; it was that he knew that the older man wasn't going to easily hand over control of his life. Not Horatio. Not without a fight.

"Got what I need," Horatio quietly informed them, standing in the archway between the kitchen and living room with a satchel hanging over a shoulder and a small lantern in his hands.

Jesse hopped off the sofa and out the door as Rick opened it. The brunette picked up the suitcase, holding the door open for Horatio. Quietly, Horatio gave the house a once-over. He didn't even have the time to fully grasp that he may never see home again. Nor was he quite sure why he was following Rick's orders, but he was so thrust into the situation that there wasn't exactly another option. If things got too bad, he could always get away. Right?

"Horatio," Rick called softly.

Their eyes met, and for a moment Rick hated himself for wanting to see those milky eyes again; at least those had a gentle internal shine of trust and love. It may not have been the sort of love Rick was familiar with, or even the mature love of someone whose soul begs for completion. For all he knew, Horatio just loved him because he was nearby and kind to him. It may not have been much, but it was something. Now, it was like looking into the eyes of a porcelain doll. They were gentle, beautiful, and empty.

A pressure pushed against the bridge of Rick's nose from inside his head. The knot he always seemed to have in his throat when he was around Horatio tightened, making breathing a strenuous task. There was a piece of him that wanted to scream at the void Horatio was giving him, but Rick refused to give it voice. The redhead walked by him and his shoulders tensed, trying to reject the weight that wanted to drag him to the ground in surrender.

He sadly looked back into the living room before adjusting his grip on the handle of the suitcase. There was a stray fantasy that had teased him into believing that he would spend a lifetime with Horatio and learn what every scattered book in his small home meant. His chest tightened as he thought of all the words that would be left unread and unspoken. They sat there in a silent and aged beauty, breaking every promise that their presence once gave.

Like Horatio, the books were blank.

oOoOo

"Easy come, easy go," Rick repeated under his breath with each step. Trying to forget Horatio wasn't an easy task, especially with the redhead walking with a lantern about ten feet in front of him. Jesse was the lucky one and got to be carried by Horatio, the brisk pace Rick urged that they set being too fast for the cat.

"How do we let you know that we have found the next world?" Horatio asked, cradling Jesse in his arms. "We'd still be fugitives, how could we come back?"

"I don't think that there would be much to come back to," Jesse admitted, trying to ignore the guilt from not yet telling Horatio how the kingdom had changed.

"Don't talk like that," the redhead gently scolded. "There's you, Speed, Eric, Ryan, Valera, Natalia, Ray… plenty of people who are worth coming home to."

Jesse shifted uneasily in Horatio's arms, adjusting himself so that he was looking over the rabbit's shoulder and back at Rick. The brunette kept quietly repeating his mantra, eyes cast downwards and his breaths in time with his step. Jesse hated having to leave them alone together, neither wanted to take hold of the situation. They hadn't even made eye-contact since they left the house.

"Things aren't the way they used to be," the cat sighed, resting his chin on Horatio's shoulder so he could talk and watch Rick at the same time. "There's not much left here. But I'm sure that the next world would gladly take you in. You don't have to come back."

"I want to."

The soft rustle of clothing and footfalls Rick was making stopped, Horatio not noticing. The cat looked up to see Rick with his eyes closed tightly, a thumb and forefinger pressing against his tear ducts. His large hands tried to hide flushed cheeks and pursed, frowning lips; but not very successfully. Jesse climbed onto Horatio's shoulder before jumping down to the ground and walking over to Rick, pawing at his shoe.

"We can't stop," he urged as gently as possible.

Rick took a deep breath before nodding and dropping his hand. His and Horatio's eyes met again, the redhead stopping and turning once Jesse left his arms. What was before emptiness could now be best described as irritation or resentment, or even worse: pity.

"I know," Rick nodded before looking down at Jesse and picking him up. "I'm sorry."

Rick tried to hold Jesse in one arm, the other having to carry the suitcase. They walked awkwardly in silence for a while until the cat crawled up onto Rick's shoulders.

"Don't walk behind him," Jesse whispered. "Walk by his side. Let him know that you trust him and he can trust you."

"He's been through a lot," Rick muttered back, "he needs to think, and he doesn't need me pestering him. If I went through what he did, all I would need to make everything better in my mind would be him. I don't know who he needs."

"He needs a friend. And soon, it's going to be you whether he wants it or not. So you might as well make him comfortable. Go talk to him."

Sighing, Rick picked up his pace and was soon walking by Horatio's side. The two men exchanged off-handed sideways glances for several long minutes before Rick spoke, slowly and nervously.

"So, you're a bit of an apothecary?" Rick asked, immediately mentally kicking himself for asking that. It was a stupid and predictable opening question given what he had seen. It was this situation's equivalent of "how was school today?"

Horatio nodded, "yeah. I've been dabbling with herbs and magic for a long while. Just don't ask me to do anything too fancy with it."

"Did you teach yourself?"

"For the most part," Horatio shrugged, "then I taught my brother. But that was before he married the Queen." He stopped to think on this for a moment. "Actually, I'm afraid that Ray and her Highness haven't been getting along well lately. I wish Ray would tell me what's going on, but he keeps to himself; enough to almost make it feel like he's leading a double life. The Queen told me to stop by the palace tomorrow because she has some errands to run."

Rick looked nervously over at Horatio, Jesse unsure when to speak up or even what to say. "When did she ask you?"

"This morning," the redhead answered casually, "The Queen's messenger, Natalia, told me about it."

"What is today's full date?" Jesse asked.

Horatio shot him a questioning glance before answering, "Monday, June 8th, 1998. Why?"

"You already ran the errands," Rick said, looking over at him for the reaction, "Twelve years and four months ago."

Horatio couldn't help but to smirk at his situation. "And how do you know that I ran them?"

"Because," Jesse said softly, crawling down from Rick's shoulder to the older man's, "your brother was executed on the 12th, and you didn't come back from running errands until the 17th. Everyone in the kingdom remembers it."

The redhead stopped and looked at Jesse. "M-my brother has not been executed."

"I'm sorry, Horatio."

Blue eyes flashed over at Rick. "You knew this?"

"You're going through a lot," Stetler gently said, taking a small step away from Horatio. "I didn't want to throw everything at you at once."

"So you hid from me that Ray is dead?"

"Easy, Horatio," Jesse hissed, batting at his ear to distract him from Rick. "He just got here. He doesn't know much more about this than you do."

"Got here from where?"

"The other world we're taking you to."

"When?" Horatio demanded, "When did he get here?"

"Three days ago."

Rick pulled his eyes from Horatio and looked at the ground.

_Three days? Is anyone even looking for me? Have I even crossed Horatio's mind? God, I want to go home. I just want to go home._

He blinked as Horatio shoved Jesse into his arms.

"You pull me out of my home," the redhead gasped, "try to pull me out of my world, tell me that my brother dies, and _then_ tell me that this guy this… this… Stetler knows _less_ about what's going on than I do? Is there anything _else_ I need to know? Where is everyone? You know what? I'm just going to _stay_ at Speed's, you two… just do whatever you're trying to do without me."

"Horatio," Rick cooed, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!"

Jesse looked up from Rick's arms. "You can trust this man with your life, Horatio."

The redhead clenched his teeth. "That's not how it works, Jesse."

"If you knew what kind of a relationship you two were in before he broke the curse you were under, you would understand."

"What kind of-" he blinked in realization before narrowing his eyes at Rick. "No."

"I can't ask you to jump back into what we had, Horatio," Rick whispered, ducking his head. "But please… trust me."

Horatio sighed, looking away. Did he really have a choice?

"We should get moving," Jesse urged. "We're almost at Speed's, then you two can find your way from there."

"Fine," the rabbit nodded, frustrated and reluctant.

Rick smiled gently, mostly at Horatio. "Alright."

The cat jumped down from Stetler's arms and onto the path, walking ahead of the two men. Horatio refused to look at Rick, keeping his eyes forward until they reached the house.


	18. Third Square Station

**Chapter Eighteen: Third Square Station**

"And you have no idea which way to go from here?"

"I'm sorry, Horatio," Jesse sighed as he slipped through a gap in the fence and started towards the door. "You were the only one who knew the way. All I know is that this was the first place you brought Rick."

"So, Rick knows too?" Horatio asked, nodding over his shoulder at the younger man leaning against a tree and waiting patiently.

"You brought him at night so he wouldn't know how to get back."

Rick opened his mouth to speak, but decided that it would be better to keep quiet until the two have said their goodbyes. Although he never claimed to know Horatio very well, he knew that he was a sentimental man who would need to take his time. It made him wonder if the Horatio he knew really would spend that much time cuddling him if they ever got in bed together back in Miami. Although, he couldn't imagine how they would even get that far, they could hardly hold a conversation without bickering. Despite their arguments, Rick could still remember moments when he was unbearably close to pulling Horatio into his arms and trying to comfort him the best he knew how. With some twisted logic, Rick occasionally finds himself firmly believing that with enough kisses and 'I love you's, Horatio could forget how heartbroken he was.

Rick knew that that was all he wanted, to tear down Horatio's façade and see who he really was.

"Do you remember what way we came from?" Horatio asked, turning to Rick as Jesse disappeared into the house. "We should get off the main road before dawn. At least that's what Jesse told me."

"I remember walking over grass and approaching the house from straight on," he said, nodding towards a narrow path running perpendicular to the road they were traveling. Before he could say any more, Horatio was already several yards ahead of him, leading the way.

Rick scrambled to catch up, stumbling over his own feet. "Horatio, are you alright?

"I'm fine," he said darkly, not looking back.

"Because if it's anything, you know you can talk to me."

"I'll be alright."

Rick lagged a few steps behind, trying to stay focused on the trail while his eyes occasionally wandered to the red tuft of fur on the older man's lower back. With all that had happened before he was pulled from the library, Rick thought that he would have gotten used to Horatio being cold to him. It would even be expected. But just knowing that there was some circumstance where they could be together and be content… part of Rick wanted to go back to a time when it was nothing more than a fantasy. It would be better than being tormented with the knowledge now.

"You say that I brought you here from another world," Horatio started, keeping his eyes straight, "a library?"

"You did," he answered, using the opportunity to walk at the other man's side.

"So, what? You were browsing and I just lead you out?"

"No, you see, I'm a policeman," Rick said, looking over to see if that won him any of Horatio's approval. The redhead wasn't even looking at him. He kept going. "I was called out to investigate an officer homicide. I'm not really sure what Officer Brawn was doing there, if he was lured into the library or had business there or what. At any rate, things went horribly wrong.

"The Crime Scene Investigators arrived around the same time I did; so I gave them some space to work before I would discover what he was doing there. I was browsing the books, waiting for them to finish, when you called my name. I thought it was one of the CSIs, so I followed your voice into a hole in the wall. Then you brought me to Speed's house."

He looked over, checking to see if he had the older man's attention. Horatio was still staring straight ahead, although he looked in thought. "You're a policeman and you came as the same time as the investigators… but you're not an investigator?"

Rick hesitated. "Yeah."

"And you were there to investigate _why_ Officer Brawn was there?"

"…yes."

"Well, excuse me for prying, but makes you sound like some sort of… Internal Investigations officer or something."

"I… I'm an Internal Affairs sergeant, yes."

Horatio stopped and looked up at the younger man. "Then why didn't you just say that?"

Rick bit at his lip. "IA has a bit of a reputation of 'ratting out' other officers. It makes people think I'm self-centered."

"And that bothers you?"

"What?"

"What other people think."

A once-very-familiar glare caught Rick's eye before Horatio turned and kept walking. Blushing heavily, Rick trailed behind again. They were silent for a few minutes before the rabbit spoke up.

"Jesse said we were in a relationship."

The brunette looked up, but he didn't rush to Horatio's side again. "We were."

"What kind of a relationship?"

Rick took a deep breath before bracing himself for the worst. "Romantic."

The trees they were working their way through began to clear, landing the two of them in a large and dark field. Somewhere in the distance was a lone streetlamp. Horatio led them towards it.

"Was it physical?" he asked, not wanting to look at Rick.

Distracted by the starless sky, the younger man turned his attention back to Horatio. "Pardon?"

"I asked if we fucked."

Rick swallowed, tensing. "We… made love, yes."

"If that's what you want to call it," Horatio muttered. "How did we get together?"

"I… I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"You found me," Rick reiterated. "I trusted you, and I think you were the only person who would trust me."

"Oh, so you're saying that you were the poor helpless one who I took advantage of?"

"I'm not saying that, Horatio. I'm not about to make a victim out of myself. Besides, I wanted it to happen."

"Why? You don't know me".

"There's someone in my world who you remind me of. Actually, aside from the ears, the tail, and the fact that I've slept with you, I'd say that you are him… in some odd sense of the word _are_."

The light they approached illuminated a green sign reading _Third Square Station_. There was a dirt path leading from where they stood to a platform with a small shack, a clock, and a bench standing on it. On the shack was listed times and fares for a train.

Rick looked over at the older man. "We didn't come by train, I know that."

Annoyed, Horatio pinched the bridge of his nose to keep from shouting at Rick. "You said we came from this way."

"We _did_. I… something must have changed since I first got here."

He started to approach the platform.

"What are you doing?" Horatio snapped, turning off the lantern as he followed the brunette.

"Look, we obviously don't know where we're going, but anything that could get us away from here would do for now. Do you know where this train leads?"

"I thought I was a fugitive, wouldn't taking a train be-"

"When you were under the curse you looked… very different than you do now." Rick bit at his lip as he was met with a cocked eyebrow, but pressed on. "You don't have to worry about anyone recognizing you."

Horatio sighed, Rick did have a point. "This is a 'Square' station. It heads into the next country, either White or Red. I guess it doesn't really matter much at this point." He walked ahead of Rick and tapped on the ticket counter of the small shack. "Hello?"

Rick kept his distance as he heard a grumble come from the building. In the lull of silence that followed, he could hear a train somewhere in the distance.

"I'm sorry to bother you on such short notice," Horatio continued, "but I need two tickets for the next train. A sleeping car if you can."

Again, a series of grunts and unintelligible syllables came out from behind the ticket counter. Horatio just sighed, looking a little irritated before turning to Rick.

"He says that the sleeping cars available tonight only have one bed each. Do you want that or should we take a regular seat?"

Rick shrugged, sitting down on the bench overlooking the tracks. "That's really your call, isn't it?"

His brow furrowed in thought for a moment before Horatio turned back to the ticket counter and took out his wallet. "Two tickets, one sleeping car. Yes, I know." He placed the money on the counter, the oddly colored currency disappearing into the booth before two tickets popped out of a dispenser in front of him. "Thank you."

There was a lingering moment of stillness, Rick sitting tense and motionless on the wooden bench while Horatio stared down at the tickets in his hand. Maybe it would be best to exchange them for two regular seats, and he would have if Rick didn't look so tired. He knew what the sleeping cars looked like, a narrow bed with a chair and a small desk. Rick could sleep while he wrote to Calleigh or just took a walk along the train. Calleigh. She could probably give him a place to stay. The whole 'library' idea didn't feel right to him.

The train sounded like distant thunder, rumbling around somewhere in the dense woods.

"Sergeant."

Rick looked up to see Horatio holding out at ticket for him. He took it, whispering a soft thanks.

"I got us a sleeping car," the redhead told him as he sat down on the opposite end of the bench. "You look worn out. There's… just one bed, but I'm not feeling all that tired. I'll stay up. The train should be here in less than ten minutes."

Nodding, Rick looked down at his feet. "Just wake me up if you need to lie down. I can't imagine what you're going through."

Blue eyes scanned over the younger man. There was a visible, almost audible, hurt that surrounded him. Rick's large and innocent eyes refused to meet Horatio again, instead staring into the nothingness of the air in front of him. Long fingers intertwined, making Rick look almost like he was in prayer. But he didn't seem like the praying man.

"Sometimes I say things I don't exactly mean," Horatio said to the nearly vacant train station. "I just… prefer to be in control of things and this whole situation is pissing me off in that respect. Understand that when I asked if we fucked, I didn't say it to offend you."

"It's alright," Rick answered, not lifting his eyes. "People have said far worse to me."

As he stared at the ground, he felt something small, cold, and wet fall against the back of his neck. Raising his head he stared up into the empty sky, wondering if this is what fish feel like on the bottom of the ocean, unable to see the sun. The sensation echoed on the back of his hand.

"I think it's raining," Horatio said softly, still somewhat absent in his voice.

Instinctively, Rick reached over and opened the umbrella he brought with. He could feel Horatio tense up as he moved closer to shelter them both.

oOoOo

Rick shook out the umbrella and handed their tickets to the porter as they stepped onto the train, happy to be out of the light showers that began outside. He didn't see the porter's offer to take the suitcase, quickly following Horatio down the corridors of the train to their sleeping car. From what he could see, the train looked incredibly elegant; he hoped that Horatio didn't pay too much for their tickets. The floor was carpeted with deep crimson carpet; a gold pomegranate pattern running down the corridor. The windows that lined the train were covered with bamboo blinds, all drawn. Little lights in what looked like conch shells clung to the walls, appearing every few yards. The walls themselves where deep rosewood, strips of polished brass as a border.

Horatio pulled open the door to their sleeping quarters, his chest tightening slightly when he was reminded of how small it was. Against his shoulder, he could feel Rick standing close beside him. The rabbit stepped into the room, pressing himself against the wall.

"Come in. Lie down," he murmured, not wanting to look at Rick quite yet. The thought of what they did still was still wandering around his head, trying to find a place to make sense in some way he knew he could understand. He watched as Rick's slender body slipped past him, finding its way to the narrow bed on the far end of the room. "Do you have any idea how far we need to go?"

The brunette sighed, loosening his clothes and sitting on the edge of the bed. "No. I'm sorry."

"Alright," Horatio nodded slowly, closing the door and turning the key on a small lamp over the desk. There was no point in getting upset with someone who he needed to stay with and who didn't know any more than he did. "I'll send a message to Calleigh, she could probably set us up for a while if we can't get to the library."

"Okay," Rick agreed softly, not ready to push Horatio any farther.

"Go to sleep," Horatio half-ordered as he sat at the small desk and pulled over the complementary pad of paper. When he heard no response, he snuck a glance over at Rick, who was burying himself under the covers. His shirt was off, wadded in a ball next to the pillow; his trousers in a similar state near his feet.

Flattening the paper on the desk, Horatio picked up a pen and began to write:

_Calleigh,_

_I'm not sure how much I can say, in all honesty I have no idea what has happened to me. There's this man I'm traveling with, his name is Stetler and he is certain that I am in danger. There was a cat who sounded like Jesse who walked with me. He said that my brother is dead. And although I don't fully believe him, I need to find out._

_Unfortunately, I can't stop for long enough to ask anyone if this is true or not. Perhaps that's for the better, I don't know what I would do with whatever the case may be. Either I've lost my brother or I'm being led far from home by a madman. But that's not all that has me concerned. I recognize the world around me, but everything seems so much older. Jesse said it was like I was sleepwalking for twelve years._

_In addition to all this, Stetler has told me that sometime during this strange skip in time, he and I were _

Horatio stared at the paper for a moment, looking for the word. Turning to see if Rick was watching him, he turned to check on him. The younger man was lying on his side, facing the wall. His breaths were slow and heavy, his body steadily moving with them. A low and airy sigh murmured from him, moving the blankets and revealing a portion of a bare shoulder.

_Involved, _Horatio decided. _Apparently we were in a physical relationship. _

_I need your help. I don't think I can tell you where I am or where I'm heading. But I'll try to make it to you as soon as I can. There must be something terribly wrong with m_

"Dammit," Horatio snapped under his breath as the pen slipped out of his grasp and rolled into the shadows. He reached into his coat pockets, looking for another pen. Instead, his hand brushed against a piece of paper. Pulling it out, he unfolded it on the desk. Wrapped in the center was a small photograph of a man with green eyes and brown hair in a crew-cut. The man was wearing a policeman's uniform. At the bottom of the picture was written in white letters OFFICER SAM BRAWN.

Horatio cocked an eyebrow at the image before pushing it aside to read the paper it was wrapped in.

_In case you ever forget…_

_You are Horatio Caine._

_You have red hair and blue eyes._

_You are a good man._

_The one with the green hats and watches is Eric._

_The one with brown rabbit ears is Ryan._

_The one who sleeps and has brown mouse ears is Speed._

_The one who can't speak forwards is Calleigh._

_The one dressed in white and who knits is Alexx._

_The little one with six arms and many legs is Valera._

_The pink and purple one is Jesse._

_You can trust these people with your life. They trust you with their lives. Don't let them get hurt any more than they already have been._

_There is also a tall, thin man with brown eyes and brown hair. His name is Stetler. You love him and he loves you. But he's stuck in a world called Miami where people don't understand him, they don't even try to. Don't listen to anyone who says you two shouldn't be together. _

Sky blue eyes stared down at the paper, looking over at what he had just written to Calleigh. The note to himself was undoubtedly in his own handwriting, although the change in pens told him that he wrote everything at different times. A gasp escaped him as a fleeting hint of a memory flashed through his mind. Unable to find words, he only felt emotions that he couldn't quite remember the names for. There was something more… something he…

A knot tying in his throat and stomach, Horatio turned the photograph over.

On the back was written:

_When you get to the library:_

_1. Eliminate Brawn_

_2. Save Stetler_

_3. Go home_

_4. Deliver justice_

_5. Live happily ever after_


	19. Julia and Marisol

**Chapter Nineteen: Julia and Marisol**

Green and pale yellow light streamed into Horatio and Rick's quarters from the edges of the bamboo curtain pulled over the window. The younger man was still lying on the bed, unable to avoid the strip of light that glared on his face. Rick stirred, pulling a blanket over his head before flipping onto his stomach and stretching, a few pops freeing themselves from his back and shoulders. For a fleeting moment he forgot where he was and why everything seemed to be rumbling, but he quickly calmed down and remembered.

_Horatio._

Blinking and pulling the blankets away, Rick sat up, hoping that Horatio didn't run out on him. He knew that the older man wasn't very content with the two of them spending so much time together, especially when the rest of his life was in such disarray. As Rick pulled his clothes back on he looked down and saw Horatio sleeping on the floor with his suit jacket draped over him, his head cushioned by a rolled-up towel.

_Why didn't you tell me you were tired?_ Rick sighed, stepping into his trousers and getting out of the small bed._ I would have gotten up._

Rick pushed the comforters to the foot of the bed before kneeling beside Horatio. _He shouldn't have to sleep on the floor, let alone the floor of a train_. The suit jacket was pulled off and draped over the desk's stool. Careful not to move too suddenly, Rick slipped an arm under Horatio's knees and another under an arm and around the back. Slowly, he lifted the older man off the ground.

Horatio gasped and startled as he suddenly didn't feel the towel supporting his head. He opened his eyes to see that he was being carried through the room. As soon as he registered what was going on, he was lying on the bed and Rick was trying to tuck him in.

"Rick, what are you doing?"

"I…" Rick stammered, backing away from the bed. "I was just making sure you were comfortable. You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor."

Sitting up, Horatio felt around for his jacket, Rick handing it to him. Turning to the wall, he dove his hand into the inner pocket, quickly checking to see that both his note to himself and the photograph were there (the letter he had dropped off with the porter earlier to put on a postal train). He didn't know what to do with them. Presumably he didn't have much use for them anymore, but they were the only clue he knew of that could tell him what he was like while under the spell. It was something to figure out later, once they could rest. He wasn't quite ready to talk about it with Stetler.

"Do you…" Rick started, pausing to make sure that the rabbit wasn't too upset with him. "Do you know if there is a dining car on this train? I could bring you some breakfast if you want."

"You don't have any money," Horatio reminded him, pocketing the note and photograph before turning back.

"No… I suppose I don't."

_He didn't look, did he?_ Horatio wondered as he pulled his suit jacket on. _No. He would have said something. Maybe he's just being polite because I woke up. But if I did what I think I did… if I'm a murderer… and if Stetler's a police officer. Oh God, how did I get to sleep last night? _

"If you want to be alone for a while, I can just give myself a tour of the train," Rick offered. "I could use the walk."

_He wouldn't turn me in, would he? I mean, if we did… but why would he feel obligated to that… erm… contract now (for lack of a better word)?_

"Horatio?"

"No."

"'No'?"

"No," the redhead echoed, climbing out of the bed. "We can go to the dining car together."

"Are you sure?" the younger man tested. "Because if you want to be alone, I understand".

"I was alone enough last night," Horatio lied. Truth be told, he stayed up, pacing the train and trying to figure out what was happening to him. This lasted for hours, until he eventually dragged himself back to the room and cushioned himself with the first thing he saw in the suitcase. He was out as soon as he got on the floor. "What time is it?"

Rick looked down at his watch before remembering that Eric had broken it. "Morning-ish?"

Horatio put his hands on his hips. "I need to know how long we slept so I can guess how far we are from Speed's."

"I'm sorry, I don't know," the brunette quickly apologized, backing against the door. "We can ask the porter on the way to breakfast. Is that okay?"

"Fine."

As they walked down the corridor, Rick could feel the older man glaring at the back of his skull. He squinted as the train sliced through a gap in the trees, the shadow of green light from the leaves giving way to the harsh sunlight. Looking outside he saw a dilapidated train platform, similar to the one he and Horatio sat on. It was crumbled and grown over; the field surrounding it was untended, tall grass and saplings bowing in the wind like ripples in a pond. The sight gave him a taste of ennui before the trees came back into view.

The dining car was two long lines of booths and tables, a narrow aisle running down the middle. Every table was draped in a cream colored tablecloth and was set for four people. Every few yards, small chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, each swaying slightly with the train. Nobody was there except for a woman standing behind the maître'd podium.

"May I help you?" she muttered, keeping her face down and looking very preoccupied with the floor.

The two men exchanged looks before Rick spoke up. "Table for two."

"He means four."

Horatio and Rick turned around to see two women standing behind them. One had dark brown and wavy hair, dropping past her shoulders. She was barefoot, dressed in a sundress made out of newspaper, topped with a simple triangle hat. The other woman was almost as tall as rick and had long, straight, blonde hair. She wore a short black dress with a plunging neckline. Her legs were those of a goat.

The blonde's one green and one brown eye and the shorter woman's deep black eyes were focused on Horatio.

Rick swallowed, recognizing Julia from that one afternoon she turned Horatio in after his visit to Rio. Marisol he remembered from her case file. When he and the man who was once his lover lay sated in the same bed the other day, Rick had hoped that those two were securely out of Horatio's life. The intense jealousy he felt for them was distracting enough when he was in Miami, he wasn't ready to confront it here. Even after all Julia did to hurt Horatio, he knew that the Lieutenant still had feelings for her. Rick despised her for it. He was never really convinced that he deserved Horatio; she deserved him even less in his opinion.

The redhead gave Rick a little nudge to follow the maître'd, the two women crowding behind them, Julia breathing down Horatio's neck. The four sat down at a table, men on one side and women on the other.

"Where are you heading, handsome?" Julia smiled, her odd eyes looking lecherously up at Horatio as she was poured a cup of coffee. Marisol simply looked between the two men, smiling sweetly.

"Wherever the train takes us," the redhead answered, leaning on the table and ducking his head innocently.

_Now is no time to flirt_, Rick thought, shooting a quick annoyed glance over at the older man. He leaned against the window, resting his cheek on his thumb and letting the rest of his hand cover his mouth, trying to hide his irritation.

"Ooh. Sounds mysterious," Julia commented with a smile before hiding behind her cup of coffee. Marisol just watched Horatio, smiling and running her finger along the rim of the coffee cup.

"And what about you two?"

"Same thing."

Horatio smiled. "What's your name?"

"Julia. And this is Marisol."

Marisol gave a little wave before ducking her head shyly.

"And you?" Julia pressed on.

"Horatio."

"Horatio," she echoed as if she were tasting the name on her tongue. "What a perfect name. Elegant, rich, masculine."

Marisol nodded along.

"Sexy."

The smaller woman nodded more enthusiastically.

Horatio chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I would."

The three exchanged glances, a blush sweeping up Horatio's neck as the two women giggled.

"I'm Rick, by the way," Rick piped up. _Fuck right here on the table, why don't you? _

"Charmed," Julia muttered, glaring at him for interrupting their moment.

The waiter came by. Horatio ordered. Rick was positive that Horatio would end up picking up the tab too.

"You have to excuse me for asking," Horatio said gently, his ears moving with curiosity, "but did we meet before? Both of you look very familiar."

"I don't think so," Julia answered, looking over at Marisol, who shrugged. "And I certainly think that we would remember someone like you."

"Are you sure? Did either of you work for the King of Hearts?"

At this point, Rick decided to stop listening, positive that if he paid much more attention to Horatio and Julia's flirting that he would get an aneurism. Instead he stared out the window. He didn't care much about going back to Miami and his old life, not if Horatio was just going to throw away his heart on someone like Julia. More than anything, he just wanted Horatio's affections again. But he had to get him to somewhere safe first.

Rick looked down as he felt a hand gently rest over his own. Marisol was looking over at him, her brow furrowed and a saddened look in her eyes.

"I'm fine," he said in response.

She nodded and Rick tried to ignore Horatio and Julia again. As he looked Marisol over he noticed that the paper her clothes were made of had a specific look to it. Trying not to seem like he was staring, Rick struggled to pinpoint what it was.

A platter of croissants was put in the middle of the table with some butter and jam. As Marisol shifted to take one, Rick realized what he was looking at.

They were obituaries. There was one for Horatio's brother. There was one for Natalia. There was one for Marisol.

"Excuse me," Rick muttered, slipping over Horatio's lap and into the aisle. He heard protests behind him as he headed to the bathroom he saw on the way in. He locked the door behind him and quickly began washing his hands.

_Oh God,_ he thought, leaning against the wall and tangling a paper towel between his fingers. _She's dead isn't she? Dead. I need to tell Horatio. He won't believe me, will he? He'll think I just want to get him away from them. And I do, but for him… for his sake. Marisol can't… and Julia would probably hand-deliver him to Yelina if she thinks that she needs to. She's not at all in the right frame of mind, even for here. She's still a sociopath. I won't let her hurt him again. I have to tell him. I need to before that bitc-_

"-Thank God that's over."

Rick looked up, realizing for the first time that he was standing in front of a mirror. His reflection was back, leaning against the glass and looking over at him.

"Were were you?" The reflection asked, a little annoyed. "I was in limbo for a _day_. Look, if Horatio's been keeping you 'busy', more power to you. But did you ever have to just hang around in a broken mirror for that long? It's cramped."

"I was in the… the thing with Horatio is… she didn't hurt," Rick stammered, not sure what to ask. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered, nodding and standing up straight. "Two things, listen to both. First, Yelina knows where you are now, so I suggest you grab Horatio and get the hell off the train. Second, she won't be able to track me any father than this, so you don't have to avoid mirrors anymore… Horatio probably told you to do that, didn't he?"

"No, Jesse did. And with Horatio-"

"-You know I love talking to you. But you seriously need to get the hell off the train as soon as possible. Don't even wait for a stop. We can talk later. Pick a direction and run. Fast."

Rick nodded. The next thing he knew, his legs had taken him back to the table and he was staring blankly at Horatio. The redhead tried not to stare back as Julia continued to talk to him and stroke his hand.

"Horatio," Rick finally managed to get out, "can I talk to you in private?"

"If I get to talk to him alone first," Julia answered for him as she got up. The three of them stared at her. "Come with me, Horatio."

The redhead got up, slipping past Rick as Julia beckoned him to the back of the dining car. Rick grabbed Horatio by the back of his shirt before he could get too far.

"This is important," he whispered.

Horatio looked a little annoyed. "Can it wait a few minutes?"

"I'm not sure. We need to-"

"-I know we had something going on between us," the redhead interrupted. "And I would like to discuss it. But now isn't the best time. I'm not going to leave, just let me speak to Julia in private."

Rick opened his mouth to protest, but Julia had already taken Horatio's arm and had pulled him to the back of the car. Wanting to be annoyed with both of them, but only managing to feel enraged with Julia, he sat down in Horatio's place. This was going worse than expected. Although Horatio's somewhat womanizing tendencies weren't unnoticed in IA, Rick still tried to ignore them; something that was getting harder to do. Horatio would rather go into a dark corner with a complete stranger (_probably crawling with STDs_, Rick thought to himself) than have a little conversation with someone who he has been traveling with.

He felt a hand on his again.

Looking up, he saw Marisol offering him a good-sized purse made of newspaper. Curiously, he looked inside. It was filled with croissants, a little jar of jelly, and a small mirror. He looked over at her as she got up, took a paper from a small pile near the maître'd, and began making herself a new purse. Rick offered her the mirror back, but she refused.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Oh come on, Horatio. You're a rabbit for Christ's sake. You'll like it."

"No!"

Rick stood up as the redhead came rushing back into the light and towards him, Julia following close behind and tugging on his shirt. Horatio grabbed the other man's collar as he passed him, pulling him into Julia's path. The younger man startled when he felt her grope at him for a split second before he was dragged back to the hallway he and Horatio came in from.

"Horatio?" Rick whispered, watching his former lover try to catch his breath.

"You, um… wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, but are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. What did you want to- why are you carrying a purse?"

Rick looked down, seeing that he was still clutching the purse Marisol had given him. Shrugging, he nonchalantly pulled the strap over a shoulder. "It's useful."

"Oh."

The two men headed back to their sleeping quarters and grabbed the suitcase. Rick stole the sheets from the bed, packing them and the purse before directing Horatio to the small shifting walkway between the cars.

"They know where we are," Rick told him, trying to pull open the emergency door between the cars. "We need to get off the train and start on foot. If we go by the stops, she'll be able to find us. This increases our odds of remaining on one piece."

"Wait, so we're just going to jump off a moving train in the middle of nowhere?"

"I'm sure we can find a way to the library. I don't think that there's any direct route."

"I was more concerned about the 'jump off a moving train' bit."

"Roll when you hit the ground," Rick told him, hoping that the cliché he heard in the movies was accurate enough to spare them a few broken bones. "And it rained yesterday, that should have softened things up."

The redhead clutched the umbrella he was carrying close to him. "You go first."

"How do I know you won't just keep riding off without me?"

"How do _I_ know _you_ won't just keep riding off without _me_?"

The younger man sighed and bit at his lip. "I'm a fugitive too." He looked up, testing to see if that was enough. It wasn't. "And I remember what happened when you were under the curse."

Horatio took a nervous glance out the emergency exit. "Have you ever done this before?"

"First time for everything."

"I guess."

The next thing Horatio knew, he was lying on the grass, feeling dew against the side of his face. The noise of the train was loud enough to drown out the nervous pounding of his startled heart.


	20. OffBook

**Chapter Twenty: Off-Book **

Horatio lay on his stomach for several long minutes, feeling the gust the train created. His eyes drifted closed as his body began to relax into the ground, sleepy and almost dreamlike. The long coat he wore billowed gently, caressing the back of his legs. When he finally looked up, he could see the train disappearing into a small point on the horizon.

Sitting up a little too quickly, he held his head. "Stetler?" he called out weakly as he used the umbrella to get up. "Are you there?"

A little nervous, he quietly walked down the tracks, looking for the younger man. It wasn't long before he saw the suitcase; only slightly beat up with bits of grass caught on the corners. He picked it up, securing the latches.

"Stetler?"

A soft grunt came from a little ways ahead. "Here."

Horatio looked over as Rick slowly sat up and got to his feet. "You okay?"

"Fine," Rick sighed, pulling off his tie and stumbling over. "I think I sprained myself trying not to hit a tree." He bound his wrist with the fabric, walking to the older man. "How about you?"

The redhead shrugged. "Good, I guess. I'll carry the suitcase if you handle this," Horatio offered, holding out the umbrella.

Rick gave the older man a gentle smile as he took the umbrella in his good hand. He looked at the forest in front of them and the train tracks behind them before forging ahead. Neither man knew where they were going, but they knew they couldn't linger near the tracks.

oOoOo

_When you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there_, the brunette thought as he nudged branches aside and tried to find a path through the trees and low brush.

The two had wandered in a straight line for hours without saying a word or even looking much at each other. The silence was becoming less worrisome to Rick, preferable to bickering. It would be best, he had concluded, if they didn't fall back into their old ways; and if that meant that they wouldn't talk to each other for a while, so be it. Rick felt that it wouldn't be prudent for him to force conversation, deciding to wait for Horatio to finally break the silence. After the first hour, he got the feeling that the redhead was lost in thought and that he should probably do the same; to focus his thoughts as much as to pass the time. He began to daydream, imagining what it would be like to pull Horatio out of the gap in the library wall.

"_I can't just leave everyone there," Horatio would insist as they walked through the books. "They need me. They need someone to stop her before she destroys everything."_

_Rick, unable to take his eyes off the redhead, would stumble over a book on the floor. He would pick it up, the title reading __Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There__. _

"_I'm not really sure what I'm doing," Rick would say, although he had the upmost confidence in all the decisions he makes in a daydream. "But I think I know a way to help them."_

_Instinctively he would reach into the bookshelves, his large hands grasping at a familiar cover. _

"_If I altered and went into that book," he would explain, turning to Horatio and indicating Alice's story. "Then I can do the same to this one. This one has someone who could help you."_

"_Who? What book? How are you even going to-"_

-His fantasy was almost enough for him to miss the sudden rustling and soft thud behind him.

He turned, seeing the redhead on the ground. "Horatio?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, getting back to his feet. "I just tripped."

Rick handed the umbrella back to the older man. "I'll take the suitcase, but first we should rest."

The rabbit nodded and slowly lowered himself back down to the ground. "Thank you."

The brunette looked down at the suitcase, remembering the bag Marisol had given him. "I have a few croissants in here," he said, getting the bag out and removing the mirror. "Take some, you must be hungry."

The older man hesitated before nodding and pulling the bag close, first handing one to Rick. "What should we do if we don't get anywhere by tomorrow?"

"I… I don't know."

Horatio bit his lip before saying, "I could find us a way to the White Kingdom. Calleigh could set us up with a place to stay."

_I need to get home_, Rick thought, trying his best to hide the dissatisfaction he had with Horatio's ultimatum. "If we don't find anything by the end of tomorrow, sure."

Quietly, Rick went to sit at the base of a large tree, facing away from the redhead. He began unraveling the croissant with his teeth, taking a bite before pulling up the mirror.

"We're off the train," Rick told him.

"I can see that," the reflection answered, looking around at the trees. "Where are you?"

"No idea. I was kind of hoping you knew."

"I only know what you could know. You probably should have asked to look at a map when you were at Horatio's."

"Hey, we thought that the library was only a short walk from Eric and Ryan's." Rick sighed, shaking his head. "I was an idiot to think that I knew where the hell I was going."

"'Where _you_ were going'? Didn't Horatio know where _he_ was going?"

"That's the thing I was going to tell you on the train. When I went to the palace to break the mirror, I found a few artifacts that I think were holding Horatio under his curse."

The reflection blinked. "Oh, so he's back to his usual coloring and isn't having his memory wiped?"

"Yeah, kinda. He's not under the curse, but he can't remember anything that happened to him when he was. He forgot who I am."

"What? So you two aren't…"

"No, we're not." Rick sighed, the reluctance in his voice. "It's not really something you can just pick up. I know I'm not easy to get along with. Besides, I don't know why I was so appealing to him in the first place."

"Damn," the reflection growled. "He was so good for you, too."

Rick chuckled at the taste of hostility in the other's tone.

"I mean it! You were relaxed. You had an outlet for your affections, so you weren't so tense all the time. You were enjoying yourself. I mean… what happened back at the palace, and I'm not just talking about the bedroom-"

"-We could have been killed on sight."

"Oh shutup. You didn't care about that. I saw you running out of the courtroom with him. Yeah, you could die, but that didn't matter to you. You were a fugitive, running away with Horatio. And you saw that for all the romance and adventure that implies. You loved it."

A wistful smile crossed Rick's lips as he remembered his thundering heartbeat that accompanied Horatio's rushed and lustful kisses. He sighed and shook his head. "I guess this is my reality, no matter what anything else is."

"Just because it's reality doesn't mean that it can't be enjoyable."

"I thought that that was the definition of reality."

"Well, with _that_ attitude it is."

Rick smirked before unraveling the croissant a little farther, taking a few more bites. "He said that if we don't reach a library or any shelter by tomorrow night, that he will take us to Calleigh's. We're going to sleep under the stars tonight. And if it rains… we'll use the umbrella and raincoat as a tarp, I guess."

"Do you still care for him?"

"Of course I do, but now… now it's more like how we were back in Miami. I thought that it would best if I try to forget what I had with him here for the time being."

"Part of him still likes you, you know."

"I don't want to be manipulative."

"I'm not saying you have to be," the reflection said, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning against the tree. "I'm just saying that you should at least talk to him. Maybe something will click… with both of you."

"I tried that, we just ended up snapping at each other."

"Well, try again. Right now. Go."

Rick sighed, a little irritated as the reflection went back to moving with him. Pushing his way to his feet, he turned to face Horatio. The redhead was sitting against a tree, curled up in the roots and knots. Horatio's bright blue eyes glanced up as he popped the last of a croissant into his mouth. A little startled, Rick ducked back behind the tree.

A low chuckle. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," the younger man said as he looked around the trunk at Horatio. The gentle smile his companion gave him took a weight off his heart. "Are you ready to keep going?"

The redhead stood, packing the suitcase and handing it to Rick. "If you want to. I mean. It looks like rain, I'm not sure how soon it will hit."

"We have an umbrella," he smiled. "I'm sure we could handle a little rain."

The look Horatio gave him was enough to make Rick question his own sanity. They stood in silence as the look slowly faded back to a neutral expression. "How about we keep walking for now," Horatio offered, speaking slowly, as if to an idiot. "But once the cloud bursts, I hope you have a plan."

Rick sighed, taking up the suitcase. "We already survived the rain once. I think we can do it again."

"But this rain is different," Horatio muttered, looking up through the trees. "Look at the clouds."

He looked up. The sky was a dusky orange, bright with haze. Moss-green clouds loomed over them like giants. There was an odd moan coming from the sky, like thunder but choked. The air was heavy, even the trees looking tense with anticipation for what they knew was soon to come. Impulsively, his bandaged free hand reached for Horatio's; the feeling of skin against skin sending a shock up his spine.

"I'm sorry," Rick said quickly, starting back on the path they were forging.

Horatio lingered for a moment before quickly catching up with the younger man. "Stet- erm…Rick?" he said gently. "Rick, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to know what we were like. As a couple, I mean."

"You already asked if we were physical."

"I know." Horatio took quicker steps to keep Rick's stride, hoping that he didn't trip again. "But… it was more than that, wasn't it?"

Rick smiled to himself before glancing over at the older man. He was surprised when his gaze met that of handsomely blue eyes. But what took him away was the look of curiosity Horatio had with him. It was like he already knew how close they were; he just had to hear someone confirm it. More than that, he _wanted_ to hear someone confirm it. Although it was more than Rick let himself wish for, it was there. He thought he was seeing things, but it looked so real.

"I… yeah," Rick nodded before quickly changing the subject. "So, tell me about yourself."

"There isn't much left to tell," Horatio said, halfheartedly trying to disguise the melancholy in his voice. "But what about you? What's this library place like?"

"Miami? Well… it's a city… a large city, with beaches and nightclubs and skyscrapers."

"What's a skyscraper do?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, what does it scrape out of the sky?"

Rick smiled at the comment, suddenly reminded of himself as a small child in Kaw City, Oklahoma asking his father about New York. "It's just a name for a really tall building, usually with offices, some are residential. They call it that because it looks like it's tall enough to touch the sky."

A hopeful shine caught Horatio's eyes. "_Can_ you touch the sky in your world?"

"No. But… erm… you can go up in a skyscraper and have a really nice view."

The redhead smiled. "I guess that sounds nice too."

Warmth swept across Rick's cheeks and through his veins as he felt Horatio draw just a little closer. There were times in Miami when Horatio would be friendly and receptive, but they were few and far between. It pulled out a vulnerability in Rick that very few people had ever seen, let alone knew exist. Horatio, he thought, he hoped, saw it.

"But I'm afraid that things aren't as interesting there as they are here," Rick apologized.

"Why?"

"Well, people stay the same size, for starters. And cats don't talk. And people are the same shape, they don't have tails or ears like yours."

Horatio smiled at that, reaching up and touching his wounded ear.

"And there aren't any fairies," Rick went on. "It's kind of boring."

"At least there are skyscrapers."

The clouds moaned again and the trees rustled. The redhead reached out and grabbed the younger man's shirt, stopping him. Somewhere nearby they heard something fall to the ground with a wet thud.

"Rain," Horatio muttered, rushing to a thick nearby tree. "Green rain."

"_Green_ rain?"

"Yes, green rain. Pull up the umbrella. I hope I still know how to do this."

Rick opened the umbrella and followed the rabbit to the tree. Horatio was clawing at the bark, little chunks falling off as he pulled. Every once in a while he would curse under his breath and angrily slap the trunk, which hurt Horatio more than the tree. Behind them the odd wet thud came again.

Rick looked around, not sure what seemed to be falling off the trees. A small weight pressed onto his foot, making him startle and look down. Squatting on the toes of his shoe was a small bullfrog, which looked up at him and blinked curiously. Intrigued, Rick folded up the umbrella, sensing that Horatio would be preoccupied with the tree for a while, and picked up the frog.

It was surprisingly calm, not moving to jump away. In fact, it almost felt like it climbed into Rick's hands. The frog looked stupidly up at the brunette before numbly grasping at him with webbed hands. Rick gently pet its back, not minding the mucus that was getting on his hands. It inflated its chest and croaked softly.

"Got it."

Rick looked up as Horatio pulled a mass of bark that seemed to be about as tall as he was off the tree. Under the bark appeared to be a sort of hole that led into the tree trunk, which was apparently hollow.

"We can hide out in here," The redhead called behind him as he looked into the dark inside of the tree. "I think it's empty. We should be safe here. It can rain for hours, so we might be stuck here all day and all night."

"We're staying inside a tree?" Rick asked, still petting the frog.

"Technically, we're staying under a tree. But yes."

Again, the wet falling sound. Horatio finally turned around, reaching out to take the suitcase. He froze.

"Rick, what the hell are you doing?"

"What?"

"That thing. Put him back where you found him."

Curious, but not wanting to test Horatio's patience when he already seemed so on edge, Rick put the frog down in the soft grass at the base of the tree.

"Don't you get green rain in Miami?"

"No."

Another wet thud.

"For the love of… they're not supposed to figure out where you are, Rick. They'll think you'll take care of them." Horatio tried not to look too annoyed when he picked up the suitcase. "They'll be hopping here in droves. It's not like I have enough time to open another tree."

Rick startled when he saw a flash of brownish green fall from the treetops to the ground, hitting the dirt with a wet thud. The blur of color settled on a small frog, sitting on the ground and looking a little dizzy. The first frog climbed back onto Rick's shoe and was promptly nudged off.

"It's raining frogs?"

"My, you're quick," Horatio muttered as he climbed into the tree with the suitcase. "Come over here and close the bark behind you. Maybe they'll give up by morning."

Rick picked up the umbrella and followed Horatio's instructions, surprised to see a good number of frogs slowly wandering over to him and the tree. The first frog needed to be nudged away again as he closed the bark door, plunging the inside of the tree into darkness.

"Don't move," Horatio called from somewhere below him. "Let me get some light first."

Rick stood there, facing the door he had just closed. On the other side he began to hear ribbits and more wet thuds, some against the tree. A soft glow came from somewhere below him, slowly growing so that Rick was just able to see the ladder that seemed to be carved out of the tree. He lowered himself down and into a small, round room, or rather a den. The walls and ceiling were made of roots and packed dirt; a carpet of grass lined the floor. Horatio sat off to the side, his satchel of potions open and a small candle sitting in front of him.

"I don't remember this part," Rick commented, lowering himself onto the grass.

"Pardon?"

"From the book. I don't remember raining frogs or dens like this or trees or anything. I can hardly remember the train."

Horatio looked up from the potion he was making for a second before getting back to work. "You have to bring me up to speed, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"In my world," Rick started, sitting down on the grass. "There is a famous book that tells of a kingdom with talking rabbits and mad hatters and Cheshire cats. There are temperamental flowers and mushrooms that make you grow and shrink. There's even a queen of hearts who has a thing for decapitating people."

Horatio looked up at him again.

Rick bit at his lip. "It's called Wonderland."

"You… you knew about all this? In the other world, before you came here, you knew?"

"The thing with Wonderland is that it's not supposed to make any sense. It's a place where impossible things happen without much rhyme or reason. This place makes… some sense."

"What happens is this Wonderland book?" Horatio pressed. "What happens to everyone?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't you read it?"

"Of course I read it, but it was a long time ago. The story isn't about the White Rabbit or the Queen of Hearts or anyone like that. It's about a little girl from my world named Alice who follows a rabbit into a rabbit hole and wanders aimlessly through Wonderland."

"How does it end?"

"She wakes up."

Horatio stood, a mortar of potion in his hands.

"I think," he said slowly, "that we need to talk."


	21. The Part Where He Realizes He's Dreaming

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Part Where He Realizes He's Dreaming**

Rick sat cross-legged and looked up as Horatio dipped his hand into the mortar. When he pulled out, his palm was covered in a deep and shimmering blue, giving off a pale glow. The redhead lifted his hand and slowly dragged it across the knotted ceiling, little chunks of dirt falling off as he painted with his palm and fingertips.

"If we were in a book," Horatio began, his voice intense with the effort of trying to remain calm, "this would be the part where you realize that you're dreaming."

The younger man worried his lip, watching as Horatio continued to paint the ceiling. As the strokes melded together, a sort of twilight-glowing sky became visible through the paint. It wasn't long before the room was filled with a soft blue light. The rabbit snuffed the candle with his hands before looking back at Rick.

"Alice woke up. That was how she got out of Wonderland, wasn't it?"

Rick nodded.

"So she didn't go back through the rabbit hole, just like you can't go back through the library."

Horatio put his hands on his hips, his soft blue eyes flashing angrily. It was a mindset that Rick saw him use with suspects. Memories of Horatio's flaring temper came back to the IA Sergeant, making him suddenly wish the den wasn't so intimately small.

"How long have you known it was the only way back?"

"I didn't know anything for certain, Horatio," Rick said defensively, standing up. "And I still don't."

"You need to wake up. It's the only way you can get back."

"And you would so willingly and eagerly accept that your life is nothing more than a dream?" Rick tested, stepping a little closer. "What's really going on?"

"Rick."

"Do you realize that if this is a dream and I wake up, all this will disappear?" he pressed on. "You'll die, Horatio; maybe not to Calleigh or anyone else, but you will to me."

Horatio shook his head, his frustration breathing out from clenched teeth. "And you would so willingly and eagerly abandon everything? What happens to you? The you that is sleeping and still in Miami, what happens? You'll be throwing away a lifetime."

"I'm taking you back with me," Rick quickly assured him. "Don't give up."

"_Can_ I go back?" Horatio asked, hearing the dread of uncertainty in Rick's voice. "Because right now that sounds impossible."

"If there's one thing that book taught me, it was that nothing is impossible."

"'Nothing'?"

The younger man turned away. Even though he thought that things were starting to make sense, everything was still firmly set far over his head. For the longest time, he knew that the world he was in was by no means physical. The sinking feeling of expectations set down by places like Wonderland was beginning to awaken quasi-familiar feelings of helpless panic. There is a fear that you sense only in nightmares, like your life could be taken at any moment, but you know somewhere in your mind that you're perfectly safe. Usually you wake up or the dream changes before things get too out of hand, but when you don't it's like being physically held down by your own subconscious.

When things in Rick's life got too out of hand, part of him always wished that he could have a complete psychiatric breakdown; the serious kind that makes him see people who aren't there and be completely out of touch with reality. It would be such a weight off if someone could just commit him to a mental facility for a week or so. There, he fantasized, he could be alone with his own thoughts, finally having a few days to immerse himself in this mind and work on pulling his life together. Hell, maybe someone could find something else wrong with his head and give him a few pills to take the edge off. Then everything could be clear. The only problem was that he always thought he was too sane to lose it so dramatically.

Although he was sure he was dreaming, part of him feared that his wish might be coming true. Or even worse, this could all be real. Either way, it was best to keep trying to play by Wonderland's rules.

"Nothing is impossible," Rick said again, more to himself than to Horatio, "it's all in the mind." He looked up, meeting deep blue eyes. "Things may look impossible, back in Miami, lots of things look impossible. But nothing actually is... especially here."

"We don't know what we're doing," Horatio reminded him.

The brunette nodded. "I know. But that hasn't stopped me before."

The two men stood in silence for a long moment before Rick began pacing back and forth across the den. After watching him pace and think for several minutes, Horatio eventually gave in and sat down.

"Relax," he urged, pulling open the suitcase to see exactly what they were carrying with them. "You look like you could worry yourself sick if you keep that up. In fact, if you don't sit down right now, I think that you're going to fain-"

Horatio was interrupted as Rick fell to his knees, bracing himself above the ground with his elbows. His eyes were wide and staring vacantly into space as he gasped shallow breaths. Shaking, he backed up against the walls as Horatio rushed to his side.

"Rick?" the redhead asked, kneeling beside him. A knot tied itself in Horatio's throat as the only response he got was a split second of eye contact and repeated head shaking. "Rick, what's going on? Talk to me."

"Can't… move," he said softly, but clearly as Horatio went over to grab the satchel of herbs.

"Anything else."

"Can't… see. Ears… ringing."

"You can't see?" Horatio pressed on, keeping a hand on Rick's shoulder while rifling through what he had to work with. "You can't see anything, or is it blurry?"

"Spots."

He hesitated for a second before taking Rick's hand and roughly pinching the skin on the back of it.

"Ow!" Rick's eyes focused for a fleeting moment on Horatio's before darting aimlessly and settling for a second on his hand. "What? Woah."

Horatio pulled away and they watched as Rick's skin slowly fell back to its rightful place. As the younger man continued to try to stare, Horatio pulled out a short and sharp blade.

"You're dehydrated," he said, feeling the roots in the walls. "I don't know why I didn't offer this earlier. I didn't see you drink any coffee this morning."

One hand pulled Rick to his side while the other sliced at a particularly thick root.

"Drink," he ordered, dropping the knife and trying to prop Rick up in front of the now slowly leaking point on the wall.

"What?"

"This is a water root," Horatio tried to quickly explain. "It's where the tree gets the water it needs, it has tons of them. They're safe to drink out of; fairies use them all the time. Drink."

Still not feeling incredibly balanced; Rick lurched forward, catching himself against the wall. His eyes drifted closed and his mouth searched for the leaking root. Soon, his lips closed around as much of it as he could, a steady stream of surprisingly cool water slowly flowing into his mouth. It took a few moments of quenching his thirst before the earthy taste hit him. The water and root tasted like exactly what spring rain smelled like. It was intense, but gentle on the senses. If he listened carefully to the frogs still falling outside, he could almost pretend that it was nothing more than a heavy downpour in the early morning. Those were the types of days when he wanted to be with Horatio the most, to pull him closer in their bed as the rain on the window blurs the light from the streetlamps. What it would feel like when the older man began to stir in his arms and-

"-Rick? Are you good?"

Rick's eyes opened and he realized that he was sucking on a wall. He sat on his heels, staring at the sliced root and the bit of mud and water. Instinctively, he wiped his face with the back of his arm. Instinctively, he made a little prayer to the god of internal monologues that he didn't say his fantasy aloud.

"I'm okay," he nodded.

Horatio gave him a gentle smile. "Maybe we should have done that first. I mean, it would have been better than arguing. We have to stay together for awhile, anyways. Right?"

"Yeah," the younger man agreed, relaxing a little.

The redhead tossed him the mirror. "You still have mud on you."

Looking at his reflection, Rick wiped off a smudge on his chin and cheek. He was a little annoyed that his reflection didn't feel like having a dialogue with him, but he wasn't surprised. The reflection never seemed to like being active when other people were so close.

When Rick lowered the mirror he saw that he was being examined by Horatio, who quickly stopped once they made eye-contact. As the redhead pretended to be very interested in the grass carpet, a small smile crossed Rick's lips. Horatio wasn't climbing into his arms at every available chance, but there was something there, something that wasn't when they were walking through the woods with Jesse. Rick knew that he may not have Horatio's affections, but he did have his curiosity; which was significantly better than nothing.

oOoOo

"I can make the moon and stars appear on that thing," the rabbit said, looking up at the blue, glowing ceiling.

The two men lay on their backs, relaxing, digesting their meal of croissants, and trying not to talk much. Rick smiled and flipped onto his stomach to look at Horatio.

"Real constellations or just stars?" he asked.

The redhead shrugged, sitting up and pulling his bag of potions close to him. When he did, Rick could see his tail, the tuft of red fur twitching as if lying on it made it fall asleep. Instinctively, curiously, he reached out and brushed his fingertips against it.

Horatio shivered before he turned around, batting Rick's hand away. "What are you doing?"

"I… erm…" he stuttered as he sat. "I'll keep my hands to myself from now on."

"What? Because you don't have one?" Horatio asked pointedly, abandoning the bag of potions to face the younger man. "Or one like mine, at any rate. How would you like it if I just started touching your ears?"

Rick flinched for a split second as Horatio reached out, his fingertips and thumb brushing and caressing the shell of his ear. As Horatio's palm slowly rested against his cheek, the brunette's eyes drifted closed, a soft hum being pulled out of him. Long, pale fingers gently ran along the crevasses of Rick's ear, occasionally shifting to brush against soft dark brown hair. When Rick's eyes opened again, they met Horatio's crystal blue gaze.

"On the train," Horatio said, dropping his hand and clearing his throat. "With Julia…"

"Yes?" Rick pressed on; although he wished that the subject wasn't changed so quickly.

"She told me that I was in a relationship with her… it could have happened under the curse, but I can't be sure. I didn't feel like I could trust her. When I told her that I didn't remember, she got… well… upset."

"I have only been here for a few days, Horatio. You were under the curse for years."

"But with you I could believe it, even though I was reluctant at first. And it wasn't just because I trust Jesse and I… well… I'm sure you're honest. There was something more, from the moment I heard about it, I knew there was something more."

"'Something more'?"

The redhead hesitated, biting at his lip before he spoke. "Tell me about us. I know it wasn't long, but I want to know."

Rick smiled faintly, watching as Horatio settled back onto the grass. "Well," he said slowly. "You… I… you want to hear about our romantic relationship?"

He nodded.

"I went to your home, just because I wasn't sure where to go and I didn't feel safe anywhere else. It was getting dark so I…" he stopped to duck his head and turn away. "I just decided to sleep on your bed. I guess you didn't see me, because I woke up and you were lying there next to me."

"Well," he shrugged. "I only check _under_ my bed for monsters."

Rick stared at him for a second before Horatio chuckled and ducked his head.

"I kid, of course," the redhead assured him with a bashful smile. "I'm sorry. Go on. Tell me. Tell me what we did once we were in bed together."

Rick swallowed hard as a somewhat familiar but somewhat alien look of lust shimmered in soft blue eyes. "You demanded to know what I was doing there," he said calmly, a blush sweeping up his neck when he saw the rabbit's ears droop in mild disappointment. "And I told you that I was incredibly confused. I didn't know where I was or what size everything was supposed to be or what was alive and what wasn't. I… had a bit of a breakdown and you let me stay and get some sleep."

"And the next morning?"

"The next morning… that is to say, yesterday morning," he started, deciding to skip the details of the curse for now. "We sat down for breakfast; we were to meet the Queen that afternoon. I was very nervous about it, but you told me that you would be there for me, and that I should trust my instincts, and… that you cared about me. And… you told me all this, Horatio, after you kissed me." Horatio's mouth twitched slightly into a smile. "And," Rick said with mounting confidence. "When you were done telling me, you kissed me again."

The redhead inched closer, a mischievous look about him. "I must have really liked kissing you," he smirked as he saw the look of want and disbelief in Rick's eyes. "Would it be too bold of me to find out why?"

"You do whatever you need," he murmured, the southern drawl he found himself struggling to hide finally slipping out.

"What'sa matter? Forgot how to talk?"

"I-"

Rick's hands trembled as Horatio's mouth closed over his and every breath was taken from him. Weakly, he fell backwards onto the grass, Horatio keeping the connection and straddling his hips. A heavy blush filled his cheeks as the other man's arms wrapped around the back of his neck. Shaking nervously, Rick returned the favor, lacing his fingers in silky red hair.

Almost shyly, Horatio brushed his tongue over Rick's lips, their bodies nearly melting into one another as their kiss deepened. It was much more than enough to make goose bumps rise on the brunette's skin as Horatio's tongue swept over his own. After a long moment, they finally broke, both men breathing heavily and looking into each other's eyes.

"I can see why I did that more than once," Horatio commented, not willing to get off of Rick quite yet.

"I didn't even get to the best part yet," the younger man smirked. "When we found ourselves alone in a bed covered with fur blankets and fine linens."

Horatio purred, leaning in and nipping at Rick's ear. "You were so good that I think I can almost remember it."

Rick opened his mouth to comment on that, but Horatio sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt, making him forget what words were. The cool air of the den brushed over the younger man's chest, followed immediately by Horatio's fingertips. His breath caught as the rabbit reached back to give Rick's crotch a solid grope.

"Wow." The redhead smirked. "Who could ever forget that?"

Wrestling with the button on Horatio's fly, Rick looked up. "I think you can tell the story better than I can."

oOoOo

Rick opened his eyes, recovering from a brief grey-out. He was still in the den, nude and lying on his stomach with Horatio's arm draped over the small of his back. There was a dull and lingering soreness that reminded Rick of how rough his once-again lover could be.

There was an impressive shift between the white haired Horatio and the one with him now. Before he was too timid to have intercourse with eye-contact, now Horatio was eager to dominate and face his lover. What's more, he was surprisingly vocal, calling out Rick's name, loudly moaning, and gasping long strains of profanities. It had been years since Rick was with anyone who was so in tune with what he needed sexually.

Deep brown eyes looked up, seeing Horatio sleeping peacefully next to him, also completely undressed. He turned and rested into the redhead's embrace, pulling him in close and wrapping a leg around him. Being taller, Rick was able to lean down and kiss his hair, hearing a contented sigh escape.

From his position, Rick tried to reach the bag with the mirror in it without jostling Horatio too much. The strap was just out of his reach, a blade of grass was all that separated it from Rick's hand. He heard Horatio mumble and begin to stir in his sleep.

"Shh," the younger man whispered, embracing him again. "You're okay, Love. You're safe. I'm not going anywhere."

The redhead calmed down, settling into the grass again. A pathetic smile was pulled out of Rick as one of Horatio's rabbit ears draped across his neck and shoulder, hugging him. He kissed red hair again before looking back up at the bag. It didn't take much more of Horatio's unconscious cuddling before the idea of talking with the reflection was abandoned.

_I'll talk to him later,_ Rick decided as his eyes drifted closed.

The grass tickled Rick's nose as he tried to find a comfortable position. The skylight Horatio had fabricated for them seemed to dim slightly, as if it knew they were trying to sleep. The earthy scent of the root water lingered from a damp trail on a nearby wall. Above them, frogs continued to pound against the tree.

_Maybe not as romantic as I would have hoped_, he smirked as his body settled into the soft grass. _But it's more than I could ever have back in Miami. _

_I'm dreaming. I know I have to be dreaming, I've known that for a long time now. I could never have him like this in reality. Life could never be so… vivid._

_Maybe I'm not dreaming. Maybe I'm dead. Maybe you get to live in books and your own imagination when you die. I wouldn't mind that in the least, I can keep going at this for a long time. And that's good, because I think I would be dead for a while._

_But if I am dreaming, and if I really do have the choice, I would rather not wake up. It may not be real, but I'm happy, it's real to me._

_Tomorrow I'll tell him that I'll go with him to Calleigh. We can forget about this library nonsense and start a new life. _

_It's not like I could just leave him here._


	22. Curious Oysters

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Curious Oysters**

The last two croissants were remarkably tough, uneatable if it weren't for the lack of food. Rick sat against the wall, getting crumbs on himself and trying to make a meal out of what he had. Horatio had sliced open another water root and knelt down in front of it, wearing only a pair of slacks as he groomed himself and drank.

Smirking contentedly, Rick sat back and watched. There were a few items around Horatio; soap, shampoo, and some odd pink paste that he only used on the inside of his long ears. When he washed his hair a few stray drops would occasionally find and travel down Horatio's spine, eventually hitting his tail. Maybe Rick just hadn't noticed with everything else going on, but Horatio's tail seemed to be a bit more active when he was off the curse. He guessed that it was some sign of a more complete awareness, but it could also be part of his change in personality. Mentally, Horatio was over a decade younger than his physical age, so he could be looking at simply a younger version of the same man.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Horatio smiled as he noticed he had captured his lover's attention.

"Just enjoying the view. Before I came here I never would have thought I could be turned on by a man with a tail."

The redhead chuckled as he picked up a towel and started to dry his hair. "I'm full of surprises."

"And I'm sure they will all be as pleasant as your libido was. At least now the rabbit thing makes a bit more sense."

"I'm good for a few rounds this morning if you're interested," Horatio suggested, a devilish gleam in his eye.

"I'm still worn out from last night," said Rick with a grin. "The difficulties of sleeping with an old man like me."

"You're not old. I'm sure you have some more of what you showed me last night. What if I let you top?"

"I'd still say that we should get going. We have a lot of distance to cover if we're going to find Calleigh. Are there many trees like this?"

Horatio nodded. "Plenty, but I can dig us a hole to sleep in if it gets dark before we could find one. I'm more worried about food. We might find some fruit or something, but our best shot is following water. Also, I thought you were looking for the library."

A gentle smile flashed across Rick's face. "You were right; there _is_ no way out of here. I accept that now. So we might as well go where you feel safe."

"But what about you? We've been over this, if you don't wake up, you'll never get back home."

"I don't want to go back home. Nobody's missing me. I just want to stay with you."

Horatio opened and closed his mouth, thinking for a moment. Rick could tell that he wasn't entirely pleased with the answer. He hoped that it was because of Horatio's need to put others before himself rather than a reluctance to pursue a relationship. His behavior was making Rick doubt the latter, which was a relief. Still, a romantic drama could do nothing but interfere with the more existential dilemma at hand.

The redhead knelt down and kissed his lover's cheek. "Then stay here. I just need to go outside and get my bearings. I'll be back down in a minute."

Pulling his shirt on, but not buttoning it, Horatio gave the younger man a slightly seductive smile before he climbed out of the tree. Rick waited until he was gone before his hand dived into the bag for the mirror.

"You look excited," the reflection commented. "But after what I heard last night, you seem to have a lot of stamina."

"So then you heard what I just told him?"

"That you're not planning on going home? Yeah. Why?"

"I'm happy here," Rick answered, pausing to remember Horatio's lips and tongue against him. "I'm _really_ happy here. In the past few days I've done more than I have in my whole life. You're right, I'm over-romanticizing it, but why the hell not? This sort of… of… adventure doesn't actually happen. But it is. And it's happening to me. Outside of books, this stuff doesn't happen. Real life can never compete with this stuff."

"But you don't belong here. Does anyone?"

"No, of course not," Rick said with a chuckle. "I'd be an idiot to pass this up."

"And what about everyone you're leaving behind?"

"But everyone's here. I'm sure that-"

"-And you're not there."

Exasperated, Rick dropped his face into his hand. "Please make up your mind, at least one of us has to. I thought you were all for me staying with Horatio. You said he was good for me."

"Yeah, but I didn't think things would be moving as fast as they are."

"I don't mind it in the least," Rick chuckled. "He's… perfect."

"Too perfect," the reflection corrected. "You should just talk to him. Put aside this… physicality."

Rick cocked his head before checking to see that Horatio was coming back down. He wasn't.

"What's going on?"

"Just go slow," the reflection answered, speaking lowly and clearly, as if talking to a small child. "You'll end up hurting yourself at this rate."

"That's not what you said when we were in the castle," he said, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"Things are different now."

"How so?"

A familiar irritated glare crossed the reflection's features. "Now you're fugitives and together and this has to be more than a fling."

"You of all people know how I feel towar-"

"-For both of you."

"I…" he started, stopping to shake his head, trying to make sense of the sudden change of attitude. "I still don't get why you did a complete 180 on this."

"Fine," the refection snapped. "You're the boss. Do whatever you want. Nothing I can do about it."

"You're being evasive," Rick said defensively. A sigh bordering on exasperation slipped out of him when the reflection folded his arms and refused to make eye-contact.

_Next thing, he'll be holding his breath,_ he thought before tapping on the glass.

The reflection moved awkwardly, as if he was trying to avoid the vibrations surrounding him. "Don't do that," he snapped. "It's weird when people do that."

"Talk to me," Rick pushed. "What are you not telling me?"

"What are you getting so inquisitive for? I'm just giving you some good advice." He paused to snort an annoyed grunt. "Fine, Mr. Mythical Literary Hero, you call the shots. But this is the old IAB Sergeant part of you saying 'Slow. The fuck. Down.'"

Rick angrily tightened his grip on the mirror, ready to shove it back into the bag. But at the last second, something in his reflection's eyes made him stop.

"Temper. Temper," the reflection reminded him.

"Worry about my temper later. I need to ask you something."

"Fine. Shoot."

"What did she do to you?"

The reflection visibly flinched away from the glass at the mention of the Queen. "I… I don't… You don't need to know."

"You need to talk about it sometime," Rick coxed him, the IAB Sergeant in him trying to emerge out of the confusion.

Meanwhile, the reflection looked around the den. "How about when you're not playing fort and Hide-And-Go-Seek with your boyfriend?"

"Fine. Once we're on the road again we'll talk about it?"

"I can't talk when he's around. The two of you should just worry about getting to Calleigh's, if that's where you really want to go. Don't distract each other."

Rick bit at his lip. "Okay, but we will talk about this."

The reflection looked up at the ladder leading into the den before moving with Rick again. Searching for a reaction, Rick shook the mirror for a moment before noticing why he stopped.

Horatio climbed into the den. "All clear, Babe." He knelt down and kissed the younger man's shoulder before looking over it and into the mirror. "You like that thing, don't you?"

Rick smiled back. "It's good to have a reflection again."

The redhead smirked. "You lost him?"

"For a while, yes."

He chuckled. "Well, he's back now, isn't he? Let's get going."

oOoOo

Although Horatio's confident stride was a welcome change from the 'where in the blazes am I?' look he carried when they got off the train, Rick couldn't help but wonder exactly how he managed to get his bearings in such a short time. At the same time, he didn't want to press the issue. The important thing was that Horatio found water.

The path they traveled ran alongside a large lake that stretched out into the distance. On one side was the water and weeping willows. On the other was the occasional house, but mostly trees and tall grass. It was a beautiful day with a slight breeze to cool them. Rick tried to understand as much as he could about Horatio's world.

There were six kingdoms that he knew of; Heart, Spade, Diamond, Club, White, and Red. From what Rick could understand, Heart had no clear allies, having a tense relationship with all other kingdoms. Red and Heart had a bloody past, Red also having a history of granting amnesty to those who committed crimes against the Heart kingdom. However, hiding out there was not an option given the tense relations between the White and Red kingdoms, not to mention the connection Horatio had with Heart royalty. Diamond was the center of business; they were the first to build the railroads. Spade and Club were the intellectual centers, peaceful despite their culture wars.

"Despite Spade's obvious scientific advantage," Horatio explained, "in 1809 the philosophers of Club managed to breed the first sentient plant. Of course the discovery was supposed to be limited to the inner city, but botanists from other kingdoms managed to create cross-breeds. After a decade or so, everyone had to accept that thinking flower beds would be a way of life. Thankfully, the gene activates only if the soil is balanced just the right way."

"Horatio? Can we stop for a while?"

"Sure. You tired?"

"Nope, brain's full."

Horatio smirked before scanning down the road, seeing a small stand set up along the road, tended by a fishmonger.

"Are you hungry?"

As they approached Rick began to take in the man's features, very different from the overall faceless train workers. He was a large man with a bristly and unkempt mustache. His eyes were dark and small, bashfully disappearing behind his prince-nez glasses.

"The time has come," he smiled, his mustache twitching happily, "my wandering friends, to have a splendid dish. For at this humble roadside stall I sell the finest fish. Wrapped in paper they're good to go, although I'd like you stay. Cod or trout, so please you, sirs? The oysters are cheap today."

Horatio walked over, looking curiously over the array. "How cheap?"

"Why?" Rick pressed the fishmonger, finding his question a bit more pressing. _Don't buy fish on sale_ are wise words to live by.

"The standard pack is made of twelve, and it will cost you ten. Good fortune, the sea does bless me every now and again."

Horatio gave Rick a smile, flashing his teeth for a second before his lips closed over them. "Oysters?" he probed.

"I'm not feeling it," Rick answered honestly, looking down at the shells with the odd mucus-looking mollusk. He glanced at the other fish and turned to the fishmonger. "Do you sell frying pans?"

"I'm sad to say, so very sad, the only pan is mine. For an extra fee, I'll cook the fish. That'll be just fine."

"We're on a time crunch," Horatio answered, digging some large coins out of his pocket. "We'll take the oysters."

"Horatio," Rick sighed

"What? Have you ever had oysters?" the redhead asked.

"No, but I'm sensitive to texture."

"Rick…"

"What if I'm allergic, this would be a hell of a situation to find out."

"_Are _you allergic?"

"I dunno. That's why I'm nervous."

Horatio looked him over critically for a moment before saying, "I can't help but to think that you've eaten weirder things since you've been here."

"What is that supposed to mean?" the younger man snapped defensively.

"A dozen oysters," Horatio confirmed, turning to the fishmonger before looking back at Rick. "You need something in your system or else you'll faint again."

"I didn't faint."

"A dozen delicious oysters," the fishmonger grinned, putting them and a bit of ice in a box, "a dozen tasty shells. You will find that they delight the heart where happiness swells."

"I'll have _one_," Rick sighed, handing the box to Horatio. "We'll see from there."

"But that leaves me with eleven," the rabbit groaned. "I can't eat eleven oysters."

The fishmonger licked his lips. "I can."

The two men stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for him to say something more, but he didn't. Slowly, they walked away from him and continued their journey down the path.

oOoOo

The oysters were carefully nestled on top of the few other things in Horatio's satchel, the two men continuing down the road in a comfortable silence. As he stole quick glances at the redhead, Rick couldn't help but notice that Horatio kept fiddling with his pockets and biting thoughtfully at his lip.

"Horatio?"

"Hmm?"

"You alright? You seem distracted."

"I… I just… I'm fine."

Rick looked over before slowly taking Horatio's hand in his. He felt the rabbit tense for a moment before weakly accepting Rick's affection, their fingers slowly lacing.

"I know this is a little fast for you," he said softly, caressing Horatio's wrist with his thumb. "But I've known you for longer than you think; before I came here from the library. You look the same, act the same, you even have pieces of the same past. I've worked with him for years and I can read him, just as I can read you. What's wrong?"

Horatio smiled, walking a little closer to Rick. "Just like me?"

"Well, except for the ears and tail, yeah." The brunette smirked to himself. "If we ever get back and you two can meet each other, I would probably try to hook you up. Some Horatio-on-Horatio action. I wouldn't mind being part of that."

The rabbit chuckled. "I'm not that vain."

"There, I made you laugh," Rick said, satisfied with himself. "Now can you tell me what's on your mind?"

He startled slightly when he felt Horatio stop, looking over at him. The older man looked around nervously for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone.

"I have a confession," he said. "I should have told you yesterday, but I… I didn't know what you thought of me until last night."

"What is it?"

"I…"

Horatio pulled the photograph and notes he wrote to himself out of his jacket pocket. "I don't know what happened, except what you told me and what I wrote down."

Rick took the photograph and notes.

"I killed him, Rick," the redhead whispered secretively, hushed and worried as the younger man looked over the papers. "I just know I did. You said that you were in the library to investigate his death. It was how I lured you there."

"Yelina."

"What about her?"

"Yelina," Rick echoed himself. "She was looking for the next king after your brother… you brought me to the castle to be the next king, she sent you to bring me to her. When I was halfway through the ritual she noticed that there was something off about me. She pulled you aside and just kept saying 'you got the wrong one'. When she threatened to… eliminate me, we incapacitated her and made a run for it."

"She must have given me the photograph so I knew who to… oh my God."

Horatio fell to his knees, pulling things out of his satchel and placing them frantically on the ground. "The prophecy…"

A few seconds later he pulled out a small, red, leather-bound book. He flipped through the pages, every once in a while a sketch coming up. Rick knelt down behind him.

"Here," Horatio whispered excitedly, glancing over his shoulder at Rick. "This. This thing was written generations ago. I copied it down from a library in Club when I was running errands there a few years ag- …well… it must have been well-over a decade by now."

He shoved an open page over to Rick.

_The Queen of Hearts will look for a King_

_To take her husband's place_

_Instead of the Knight, the page shall bring_

_An outsider to our space._

_A loving Chupi will mourn the Knight_

_With golden innocence_

_Will bring weeping kingdoms to the light_

_And resolve the dissonance._

"My interest in prophecy has been purely academic," Horatio explained, taking the book back. "A fascination with Heart's banned books that I've always had. But this… I can't ignore it. I mean, it's staring me right in the face. This is amazing!"

"Horatio, I haven't done anything yet," Rick reminded him. "And you've seen me, I'm hardly what anyone could call innocent by any stretch of the imagination."

"But-"

"-What's happened to you and your kingdom couldn't have been easy to handle. But you can't just blindly grab for reason wherever you can find it. Terrible things happen to people who don't deserve it; things have always been that way. There isn't always a reason, there often isn't."

"But…"

"It's interesting," he nodded, closing the book in Horatio's hands. "But this isn't me. I haven't done anything but show up."

The redhead sighed, letting his eyes drift shut as Rick leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Out of curiosity," he murmured into Horatio's neck as he pulled him close. "What does 'Chupi' mean?"

The older man shook his head. "Oh never mind that. It's this archaic term that just means 'chosen innocent'. It was used a lot in documents like the prophecy to indicate unsuspecting heroes. Faded out of use a long time ago."

Rick tightened his grip.

"I killed a man, Rick."

The brunette bit at his lip before gently kissing Horatio's temple. "I know. But right now we need to stick together. If you want to talk when we're safe, you can."


	23. Follow You Down

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Follow You Down**

"Yeah, I'm not doing that again," Rick grimaced, shaking his head and digging out the jar of preserves he kept with him from the train.

"Was it really that bad?" Horatio chuckled, taking the empty half-shell from Rick.

"Not a fan," he muttered, eating what was left of the jam.

Rick cringed as he watched the older man down another oyster, tossing empty shells over the tall grass and into the water. The discomfort fell away as Horatio leaned in towards him, a sparkle catching in his bright blue eyes.

"I know you like the sound of Club," the rabbit said, "but there are some really nice places in the White Kingdom. We can live in a small house in the mountains. I'll teach you alchemy."

Despite his nervousness, Rick forced a small smile.

A mischievous grin crossed Horatio's lips. "And you can teach me that thing you did with your tongue last night."

"You liked that?" he pressed, the heat of a blush creeping up his neck. Sex with Horatio was absolutely intoxicating; just thinking about it gave him goose bumps. The soft little moans the redhead made lingered with him as much as he cries of ecstasy.

"Of course I did."

"I'll do it again tonight," Rick promised, dragging his fingertips along Horatio's arm.

"Why not right now?"

The suitcase and Horatio's satchel fell to the ground with a soft thud as Rick was maneuvered and pinned against a tree on the side of the path. It impressed him how rough and overpowering the redhead could be with a man over half a foot taller than him. The rough kiss he was pulled into almost hurt his neck, but the sensation of Horatio pressing their bodies together was nothing short of perfect for him. Rick let his hands wander down the rabbit's back, playing with his tail and caressing the small of his back.

"Easy, Horatio."

"Only for you," he muttered, looking up and down the path before meeting Rick's eyes again.

The brunette rolled his head back, moaning softly as Horatio stiffened against his thigh. His hands moving lower, he gave the younger man's backside a rough feel. Their lips crashed together again, bodies molding to each other as Horatio's hands crept under his lover's shirt.

"Are you sure you want to?" Rick muttered, tilting his head to give Horatio better access to his neck. "Maybe this should wait until we stop to rest for the night."

"Those oysters were a fucking aphrodisiac," the redhead purred into his lover's ear before pulling a groan out of him as he sucked on his neck. "I'm so hot that I can't even walk straight. I need you. Now."

The younger man gasped as Horatio began groping at his crotch. Deep brown eyes drifted shut as a rough kiss was planted on his lips and he was dragged off the path. The tall grass that surrounded them reminded him of when he was lost among the flowers. The sense of dread was replaced with an overpowering need to press his lips against every inch of Horatio's body.

Stumbling over their own feet, the two men fell to the soft ground, shielded from the rest of the word by a wall of green.

"Stay here," Horatio ordered, sitting up and fumbling open the suitcase. He took out his potions satchel. "Get your pants off. I just need to make more lubricant. Need water. I'll be right back."

Rick watched as he rushed off, the grass bowing slightly in his wake. Reaching over, he pulled a towel out of the suitcase and spread it out, creating something close to a bed. When he lay down, he could feel the grass and earth settle beneath him. He could feel the blood rush through his body at the very thought of lying with Horatio again. Although he wished they could have another session as peaceful as they had back in the castle, he didn't mind the rabbit's almost frantic sex.

The reflection's warning pecked at his conscience for a while before desire finally pushed it away. He opened his shirt and rubbed his arousal through his pants. It was almost unbelievable how one person could so perfectly and precisely know how to satisfy him. Maybe that was his imagination working with how he wanted Horatio to be, but it could just as easily be how he really was.

Just as he was beginning to open his trousers, Rick heard a splash come from beyond the grass. He smirked to himself, figuring Horatio must have fallen in. The image of the man with his wet clothes clinging to his body went straight to the brunette's cock, pulling a helpless groan out of him. Deciding to check on him, Rick got up and went to the water.

"Horatio?" he called, pausing when the potions satchel was the only thing he saw in the shallow water. "Horatio, where are you? Horatio?"

He looked down the path, doubtful that Horatio would run off with only the clothes on his back. Stepping over the cattails that lined the bank, Rick waded into the water. Even when aroused, Horatio didn't seem like the overly-playful type. The heat the younger man felt dispersed into panic.

"Horati-"

"-Ric-mmf."

He stopped, his breath catching and a cold sweat beading on his neck. He stared into the water, ripples calming as the stood still. Under him, Rick saw his reflection standing below Horatio tangled in the long arms of a willow tree.

He looked up, his heart in his throat when he saw the branches restrain the redhead high above the water. Horatio tried to pull free from the limbs that bound and gagged him, bruising and cutting his pale skin. One of the long and slender branches slipped around his neck, Horatio choking into a branch as it began to tighten.

"HORATIO! No! Let him go!"

All but the one around his neck suddenly released, dropping him. Horrified, Rick stared as Horatio trembled for a second before kicking helplessly for ground that wasn't there. The tree gave him a sharp tug, Rick able to hear his back and neck strain to the violent treatment.

Clawing at the trunk and branches, the younger man tried to reach his lover, every time being batted away until he finally fell into the waters. The tree continued to throw Horatio like a ragdoll.

"Put him down!" Rick cried, tears rushing to his eyes. "Hor-"

He could hear a harsh snap before Horatio fell eerily still. For a moment, everything stopped, he couldn't move nor breathe as the redhead hung from the tree. Time burned itself into Rick's eyes, his ears ringing in the emptiness. And just as quickly as everything seemed to stop, it started again; the tree letting go and Horatio falling with a soft thud on the grass near the water.

"No…" Rick whispered, beginning to fall numb as he stumbled to the path and the cattails. "NO! God! No."

But everything was already gone. And although death was something he often wondered about, nothing prepared him for seeing it come like this. He knew that one day Horatio would pass, but he always thought slowly and with a fight. But that wasn't what happened. One moment he was there and a snap later he was gone.

Gone.

Rick tried to feel for the break as he knelt by Horatio's side, wondering how everything was going to get better. It only took a split second for his mind to tell him that it wouldn't, but his heart scrambled to find some sort of 'undo' button. He wasn't asking for much, he just needed to go back a few minutes and convince Horatio to keep going down the path. That's all he needed. The universe could just give him those few minutes back, right? It wasn't far…

It wasn't much…

Any time now…

Horatio's eyes were already closed, his expression looking more hurt than pained. He was beautiful. Peaceful.

_Please, before too much more time passes, take me back and let me fix this._

There was no swell of music. No cries coming up from Nature herself. No rain. No clouds to pall them as they rested by the water. The world didn't stop for them.

_No… Don't let it end like this._

"No. Please!"

_GOD! WHERE ARE YOU? JUST GIVE ME THE TIME TO SAVE HIM! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SELFISH BASTARD? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EVERYWHERE! HE DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS! _

A deep and painful cry from deep inside him filled the stale air. It was only a few seconds before Rick's face was wet with tears. He lay down beside Horatio, pulling him in close, tears falling harder when he didn't feel Horatio return the embrace.

_Since the curse was broken, did I even tell him that I love him? Could he possibly have known? He died not knowing he was loved. _

Gone.

Empty.

_He died not knowing…_

Rick sobbed again, a cutting moan of pain coming from his throat. Clutching the weight of Horatio's body against him, he choked as his tears darkened red hair.

"No. No, no, no, no, no."

oOoOo

Horatio's lifeless body grew cold in Rick's arms as the brunette carried him down the path. Everything they were carrying was left behind, save the small mirror, which Rick had slipped into his pocket. The path had curved away from the water, leading them into a heavily wooded area, the world growing darker around them.

His arms had begun to ache hours ago, both from carrying Horatio and trying to warm him; but it wasn't until the pain spread down his back that he considered stopping. Weak legs made him fall hard on his knees onto the path, but he refused to let go.

Tears still blurring his eyes, Rick gently laid Horatio's pale body on the ground before sitting down. He halfheartedly pulled the mirror out of his pocket and tossed it down on the dirt path. Choking softly, he remembered what it felt like to have the redhead hold him. A mental note was made to remember that sensation often, or else it would die with Horatio.

"Rick?" he heard his own voice call from the mirror.

"What happened?" Rick sighed, pulling his knees to his chest and trying to hide his face. "Just tell me what the fuck happened."

"I don't know…"

"He's gone," Rick whispered, wiping a tear on his sleeve. "He's gone. I… I'm an idiot. I should have been protecting him. I should never have stepped out of line to begin with. Why am I even here? Maybe if I hadn't been so selfish he would still be…"

"Selfish?"

"We're fugitives for Christ's sake. I should never let him go as far as he did last night. It's dangerous… but more importantly, he means more to me than that. You know I love him, I admitted that to you and to tell the truth, I've felt it for a long… long time. But he doesn't…didn't know." He bit down hard on his tongue, trying not to sob again. The crying was giving him a splitting headache, harsh enough to make him nauseous. "He didn't know.

"We spent hours last night just… we went one round right after another and I didn't even tell him then. Like he was still just a fling, a one night stand. But he wasn't, he could never be. But I treated him like it. I might have looked him in the eye, but I didn't tell him that I loved him. I… I cheapened him."

The reflection lightly tapped the glass when Rick tried to hide his face again. "Hey… look at me. This isn't your fault. Things happen… bad things happen to good people, you know that. And nobody really gets an explanation. It hurts like hell now, but just try to tell yourself that now he's somewhere where he knows you love him. And he's with his family now… along with everyone else he lost."

"Just don't tell me not to mourn him." Rick whispered, biting down on his tongue again. "And let me blame myself… at least for now. Somebody's responsible for this; it might as well be me. Don't worry, I won't do anything drastic. I'll find a quiet spot to bury him before I look for a way back home."

Rick reached down and gently ran his fingertips along Horatio's fur-covered ears, feeling a velvety softness he hadn't before. Every time he looked at his former lover's body, he realized something new and beautiful about him. Something new to worship. Something new Horatio will never know he appreciated.

He kissed Horatio's bandaged ear before turning back to his reflection. "You were right… you told me not to let him get physical and you were right…"

The reflection bit his lip. "How did he die?"

"We were going to… and when he went to get water and he went in the lake-"

"The willow."

Rick half-nodded before he stopped. "What?"

"The willow. I understand."

He swallowed, shaking his head. "No. How did you know about the willow? I just told you he was in the water, why didn't you assume he drowned?"

"I-"

"-You." Rick rubbed his eyes again before they flashed angrily at his own reflection. "You knew, didn't you? It's why you warned… you KNEW he was going to die like that!"

"I didn't know, Rick."

"You WARNED me! You KNEW!"

"Stop shouting, you're just going to make your headache wors-"

"-You KNEW what was going to happen to him! Why did you have to be SO FUCKING CRYPTIC?"

"I wasn't!"

"'Don't let him seduce you, Rick.' 'What the hell are you talking about?' 'It's a secret.' And that's how it is with you, isn't it? People who have actual answers don't talk like a prophet because THEY HAVE ACTUAL FUCKING ANSWERS!

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Rick pressed on, fists clenched as he glared down at the mirror. "'Horatio will die if you let him stray from the path.' Would that have been too FUCKING HARD FOR YOU TO SAY?"

"STOP FUCKING SHOUTING AT ME!" The reflection took a deep breath before trying to calm down. "Besides, I didn't know anything for certain. I didn't want you walking around paranoid, if you do that, you can't think straight."

"You should have let me be paranoid! You should have warned me about the trees!"

"I didn't remember the trees."

"What are you talking about?"

The reflection sighed, glaring up at Rick. "I said, 'I didn't remember the trees'. There was this… the Queen put me in this mind thing… it made me… I saw him die. But I didn't know if it was how it would really happen or if she was just threatening me… him. I didn't remember all the details, I tried to forget them. But I did remember starting the vision aroused; the rest is just scattered images. Fragments that either were always there or I made up to try to make sense of things…"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why didn't you warn me?"

"Dammit, I just told you why!"

"You're why he's dead!"

"YOU couldn't keep it in your pants! He would still be alive if you could-"

"-YOU'RE WHY HE'S DEAD!"

Before the reflection could say another word, Rick stood, grabbed the mirror, and threw it as hard as he could into the woods. From somewhere in the shadows he heard glass shatter.

"For WHAT?" he shouted, tears filling his eyes again. "So you don't look like a paranoid idiot for a few days? Let me walk around with sweaty palms and jumping at every sound. Let me be the overprotective bastard he would rather get away from! Let me worry myself sick over him! But for FUCK'S sake, don't do this.

"Do you think I could EVER live this down? How could I possibly forgive myself for being so selfish… so vein. I… I…

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! I'm an idiot! The only voice of reason I could find was in a mirror and I didn't think of myself as a narcissist? I NEVER should have listened to you! He probably died thinking I was a selfish bastard. And why not? I am, aren't I? Everyone in Miami thought it. Everyone here thinks it. Hell, I know it. It's true.

"I don't want to be. I never wanted to be. I try not to. Just when there is always that one defining moment I fuck things up. And I just… for some reason right then I need a moment to myself. Just some time alone. And I take the last moments when I should have been saying 'I love you' and replace it with 'not right now'.

"Friends, family, anyone… I always somehow manage to see them out the same way. I'm nothing more than a cancer to all of them. And the only way that could change is if I look it straight in the face and see what kind of a monster I am. But I never change.

"I never. Fucking. Change.

"So fine. I'm a heartless bastard who deserves all the hate people give him. And all the sleepless nights. And losing everyone I ever loved. And every time I think I could drive myself to suicide with self-loathing! I deserve it! I'm a heartless, spineless bastard and I should be ashamed to even think that I'm hurt… with all the lives I have ruined and thrown away…"

Tears streaking his face, Rick trembled violently before falling to his knees at Horatio's side again.

"Horatio," he whispered. "Horatio, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I love you. I've always loved you. I-"

"Get out."

Rick startled and looked around, the voice coming from deep within the woods. He clutched Horatio's lifeless hand in his before lying down beside him again.

"Leave me alone," he muttered to the voice. "Just let me be alone with all this…"

"This is _my_ forest."

"Who are you? Just let me be, I won't stay here for very long. In fact, I'm looking for a way out o-"

"_You're_ making a _mess_. Get out."

Rick gritted his teeth as he sat back up. "Leave me alone!"

"How long is this going to take? What gives you the right to just march in here like you own the place? Honestly! What has happened to things like manners and class?"

Rick furrowed his brow. _Do I know you?_

He reached down and took Horatio's hand again.

His eyes shot open.


	24. I Like to be Here When I Can

**Chapter Twenty-Four: I Like to be Here When I Can**

"Rick, wake up."

Horatio looked around the children's section of the library, hoping that the librarian wouldn't wander over any time soon. Rick had passed out on a pile of pillows and stuffed animals, an old and worn copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland lying open on his chest.

The emergency lights flickered for a moment; the heavy rainstorm that had come seemingly out of nowhere had knocked out the power. Rick was lit by a large window that overlooked a few trees and a used boat dealership.

Kneeling down on a large, plush turtle, Horatio gave Rick's shoulder a gentle shake.

"Rick? You fell asleep. It's time to go now."

He snored quietly despite looking a little distressed. Sleepily, he reached over and touched the back of the CSI's hand.

"Rick?" Horatio prodded, shaking the younger man a little harder. "Rick, get up. Rick?"

Stetler's eyes slowly opened, he stirred and looked up into Horatio's soft baby blues. A gentle smile slid across the redhead's lips before Rick gasped and pulled their bodies together. He fell with a soft thud on the younger man's chest, struggling to get up with Rick pinning him.

"Oh God," Rick whispered. "Horatio…"

"Rick? Are you feeling o-"

"-I love you. I love you."

Pulling back, Horatio looked down and saw the desperate and compassionate look Rick was giving him. He slowly dislodged himself from Rick's grip immediately after the younger man looked like he was about to kiss him.

"Are you alright, Rick?"

"Yeah, I…"

He sat up, a tear slipping down his cheek as he looked around. Shyly, Horatio took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped it away.

"You…" Rick murmured, looking confusedly up at Horatio, "you were dead."

"I'm alright now, Rick," he assured him. "And you need to get up, you've been sleeping for hours."

"I was gone for days," he said, rubbing his eyes and holding the book close to him. "I'm cold."

"It was just a dream. And you might want to get downstairs before your librarian friend comes over here and finds us."

Shakily, Rick got to his feet, leaning on Horatio until he found his bearings. The redhead had to brace himself on a small bookcase to keep Rick from knocking him down.

"I know I seem like a selfish bastard sometimes," the younger man said softy, trying to walk in a straight line.

Horatio nodded.

"But I love you. I want what's best for you, that's all."

"Rick, I think you're still a little tired and possibly slightly delusional. It takes you a while to wake up, doesn't it?"

"But you know I love you, right? I said that-"

"-Yes. I heard, Rick. Would you like a drink of water?"

"I'd like that very much, yes."

Leading Rick out of the brightly colored children's section, Horatio escorted him to the drinking fountain. Rick muttered something about a water root before bending down and sipping at the cool and steady stream.

_I worry about him_, Horatio thought while absently staring at a sign with the words 'drinking fountain' crossed out and the word 'bubbler' scrawled under it. _I haven't seen him have a real conversation with anyone in a while. Does he talk to anyone without them shooting him down? God, I know what he did to Yelina, but… it was years ago. Maybe I shouldn't be giving him such a hard time whenever he just tries to do his job._

_Why did he say he loved me?_

Rick straightened up and gave Horatio a little smile.

_Does he?_

"Is this still a dream?" he asked sleepily.

"No," the redhead muttered, reaching up and touching Rick's forehead with the back of his hand. "You're running a little hot. Were you sick this morning?"

"How's your neck?"

"My neck's fine. Were you feeling like this this mor-"

"-I love you."

"Yes, Rick. You told me." Horatio sighed and put his hands on his hips, turning away slightly in thought. "I should call you in sick, you're obviously in no shape to work IA. I'll drive you back to your place… and to a hospital if your temperature's too high. Is there anyone you know who can take the rest of today off and keep an eye on you?"

"No, I… I need to finish this case. I haven't even started…"

Horatio sighed and gently began to guide Rick to the stairs. "The case is closed, no foul play. Alexx confirmed that when I was on my way back over here. No need for Internal Affairs."

"But why was he here?"

"It's a library, Rick. Some people just go to them."

The redhead watched as the younger man shakily placed his foot on the first step. The grip they had on each other tightened.

"How did he die?" Rick asked as he slowly lowered himself a little farther down the staircase.

"Aneurism. And I think that librarian's going to have one if she sees us. She's been shooing people away all day. That and I don't think she's very keen on me ever since I brought her in for questioning about an hour ago."

"Librarians hate me."

A little smile crossed Horatio's lips before he looked up at Rick. "Want to tell me about it?"

"It all started back when I was in the third grade and my dad told me about that Orson Welles The War of the Worlds radio thing. I really wanted to read that book, I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I decided to pick it up the next time my class went to the school library.

"Now, my school's library was divided into sections based on year. The problem was that I was a third grader and The War of the Worlds was a fifth grade book. But I snuck over to the fifth grade books anyways, crawling between the short bookshelves and being as quiet as I possibly could. I grabbed the book, read the first few pages, decided that I liked it, and quickly rejoined my class.

"When it was time to check-out, I made sure to grab a few of the third grade books and hope the librarian wouldn't notice. But she did. And she took my book away. And then she tried to get me in trouble with my teacher."

The smile still tugged on Horatio when he realized that Rick was starting to sound more and more like a little kid.

"Librarians are supposed to adore little kids who love to read," he continued to rant. "They should be encouraging it, but she took my book away."

"I'm sure she had her reasons."

"The age recommendations shouldn't be rules, they should be taken only as guidelines. But she kept me from a book. She banned a book from me. What the hell kind of librarian does that?"

"It was probably a policy thought up by the PTA to keep the reading curriculum organized."

"Censorship is a blindfold for the masses. She let herself be controlled and brainwashed by a policy that keeps children from expanding their minds and she felt double-plus good about it! I'm a book lover who can't go in libraries and it's all her fault!"

"Shh… the other librarian will hear you. You're almost out now."

Rick's walking became a bit surer of itself as they crossed the parking lot to Horatio's Hummer. The redhead had to help Rick into his seat, the delirium giving way to dizziness. After making a silent prayer to keep the IA Sergeant from vomiting on the way home, Horatio turned on the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

oOoOo

After a couple futile stabs at the doorknob, Rick finally managed to sink the key into the lock and push the door open. Horatio, still concerned about him, followed Rick into his home, his eyes widening when he saw the living room.

The walls were lined with bookshelves, save the large gaps to get in the kitchen and to the stairs that led to the second floor. The shelving looked homemade, all reaching to the ceiling, built around the windows, and specifically designed for anything from oversized coffee table books to small pocket books. From where he stood, most looked hardcover. The books and a few DVDs spilled out onto the floor in disorganized piles. The coffee table held an empty glass teapot and a few newer books that Horatio remembered watching recent interviews over.

"Admiring my collection?" Rick asked, returning from the kitchen and sucking on a water bottle.

Horatio bit his lip, not sure to admire Rick or worry about him even more.

"I know it looks a bit much," he said before drinking again. "Yes, it's a small fortune, but I love them all. It's not like I'm collecting Kewpie dolls or Fabergé eggs; these are ideas. After all,_ 'a room without books is like a body without a soul'_."

"I see…"

"My dad said that a lot."

"Where's your bathroom?"

The half-bath near the kitchen had a small magazine rack with a few thin novels crammed in. As he relieved himself, Horatio opened the medicine cabinet, placing the thermometer on the counter. He couldn't help but to notice the bottle of Prozac and a bottle of Senormin sitting side by side.

_For Christ's sake, Horatio,_ he thought at himself. _He's not boring, he's not cancerous, he's not pure evil… hell, he isn't even that hostile. Would it kill you to talk to him like a human being?_

When Horatio came out of the bathroom with a thermometer, Rick was sitting at the kitchen table, an X-Acto knife in his hand and the library's copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in front of him. The plastic binding the library put over the cover was already half-off; the due date stamp page was discarded onto the floor.

"Rick," Horatio stammered out, not sure if he should be surprised or not. "Did you _steal_ a library book?"

"I paid for it."

"That's not how libraries work! You can't just take books out of circulation."

"I left double the amount that I would have paid online or in any bookstore," he said defensively. "And this book's been out of circulation for over a decade, it wasn't checked out since 1998. They aren't giving this book the love and attention it deserves, so I… 'adopted' it, I guess. If they really want it, they can buy another copy. This one is mine."

"Do you do this a lot?"

"How often is 'a lot'? How often do most people do this?"

"I don't know _anyone_ who does this except for you!" Horatio snapped, only just able to stop himself before he could throw the thermometer down on the table. "And for you to do this in front of me… what were you thinking?"

"In all honesty? I forgot it was illegal."

"You forgot it was…" the CSI shook his head and took a deep breath. "Rick, how many times have you done this?"

"Um… twenty-nine?"

"Twenty-nine?"

"I try to avoid libraries!" Rick cried, his voice cracking slightly. "This always happens to me, I get attached. When I was in college and had to do research papers, the books I used always stayed with me. Because everyone else used them to improve their grades, but I actually thought they were interesting and deserved better than uninspired students skimming them once a semester. I always left enough money to replace them. Dammit! If she would have just let me check out that book forty years ago, none of this would have happened!"

Horatio sighed, looking down at the thermometer before sitting next to Rick. "Put this under your tongue."

"It's not like I'm really hoarding them," Rick said as he put the thermometer in his mouth. "If somebody likes a book I lend -"

"-shh."

Horatio looked down at the book, knowing that he should make Rick return it, but not at all wanting to make him do that. Rick might be wasting the library's time, but he wasn't exactly stealing from them. And it wasn't like he was re-selling them.

_Always had a soft spot for the bookish type, haven't you?_

Gently, Horatio took the thermometer from Rick and held it to the light. "One hundred. You've got a fever."

"But not too bad."

"No. You get to stay home. Just get plenty of rest and keep yourself hydrated and fed. Do you have any friends who could possibly keep an ey-"

"-You're free, aren't you? The case is closed."

Horatio wanted to make a sharp remark at that, but one look at Rick told him that he was serious. But if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, he wanted to stay. He knew he was seeing the private and more human side of the IAB sergeant.

"I suppose I can stay for a few hours."

Rick managed to get half of a smile out before yawning. Horatio chuckled softly. "But you might not need me."

"You can tuck me in."

Before the redhead could say anything, Rick had gotten up with the book and was heading to the stairs. It wasn't until he made it into his bedroom that Horatio caught up. The room was cozy with a full bed unmade and fitted nicely into the corner. A dresser mingled with three more bookshelves that lined the walls. But what surprised Horatio was a small pile of plush animals in the corner. He was about to comment on them, but stopped when he saw Rick nestle the book into one of the bookshelves.

"What kind of books do you usually… liberate?" Horatio asked, leaning on the door frame.

"You can say 'steal'. I know that's what you're thinking."

"Well, you don't think of 'stealing', you think of 'liberating'. So what kind of books do you usually 'liberate'?"

A little smile crossed Rick's expression as he ran a hand over his collection. "Aside from the reference books in college and the ones I just wanted in grade school… mostly controversial stuff that I'm afraid someone would hurt. The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird… I have multiple copies of the Quran. Want one?"

"Sure."

Rick handed Horatio a blue and gold copy, sighing as he looked at them. "One year I'm going to make a mosque very happy. These things are impossible to give away, you're the first who accepted and I've been collecting these since 2001." He shook his head. "Yelina looked like she was going to take a swing at me when I offered her one."

"Is that what happened between you two?"

"Yelina was a mistake, a huge mistake. I'll just leave it at that. We're both very happy it's in the past."

Horatio opened his mouth to respond to that, but stopped when Rick suddenly started pulling off his tie and jacket. Within moments he was standing next to the bed, wearing nothing but his boxers. Although the redhead wanted to avert his eyes, he couldn't look away.

_He must still be slightly delusional. That or else he's just very comfortable with his body._

_And why shouldn't he be?_

From the soft animal pile Rick pulled a large white rabbit. He clutched the bunny close to his chest as he climbed into bed and pulled the covers around himself. He looked incredibly peaceful, the dark blankets draped over his bare shoulders and his deep brown hair nuzzling into the pillow. On the foot of the bed, Horatio saw a large fur blanket. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he gently pulled it around Rick.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispered, burying himself in the blankets as he looked up at Horatio.

"For what?"

"I know I need to sleep… and I can barely keep my eyes open. But I had this dream… there was this kingdom… and a train… and water… but it wasn't like any world I know… or at least have seen. I must be going crazy."

Horatio smiled gently. "We dream lots of foolish things."

"But it was so real… and you were there."

"Very cute, Dorothy," he smirked before reaching over and adjusting Rick's blankets again. "Now, Rick, you should calm down before you get yourself riled up again. You're right, you should be getting some rest, even though you must have been sleeping all day. Just a little nap."

Large, innocent, brown eyes watched Horatio between the ears of the plush rabbit he clutched to his chest. The redhead gave Rick a kind smile as he sat back and enjoyed the view, as if he was seeing him for the first time.

"I'll read you a bedtime story if you want, Rick."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, but their sincerity was met with a curious nod from the younger man. He wasn't sure if it was his lifelong desire to raise a family or his amusement with this sentimental side of Rick Stetler that led him straight to the newly liberated copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

He sat on the edge of the bed again and started to read.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. By Lewis Carroll. Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the…"

Horatio looked up, checking to see if Rick was at all entertained. He had already fallen asleep, one of the rabbit's ears resting gently on his nose. Sighing, Horatio closed the book, letting it rest on his lap for a moment before he picked it up again and walked with it over to the pile of stuffed animals. The bedroom was as good a place as any for Horatio to wait out Rick's nap… or to wake him up if it got too late. At least he didn't seem as distressed as he did when he was in the library.

And as he settled against the mound of animals and opened the book, he knew that this was exactly what he wanted to do. It might take all afternoon and all evening, and he knew that he wouldn't even scratch the surface in terms of understanding this man he thought he knew.

He was up for the challenge. It was new. It would be… an… adventure?

_Is that the right word?_

He looked up at Rick again, sleeping peacefully with the plush rabbit held tight against him. Shifting his shoulders, Horatio tried to get comfortable against the animal pile.

_Lucky rabbit._

Pushing the stray thought aside, he let himself drift into the book as rain tapped at the roof and Rick dreamed.

...

The End


End file.
